


The Sharpest Lives

by FallenfromReality



Category: The Umbrella Academy (Comics), The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Ben Hargreeves Deserves Better, Childhood Trauma, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family Reunions, Gen, Good Sibling Vanya Hargreeves, Multi, Protective Allison Hargreeves, Protective Ben Hargreeves, Protective Diego Hargreeves, Protective Klaus Hargreeves, Protective Number Five | The Boy, Psychological Trauma, Sober Klaus Hargreeves, Triggers, Vanya Hargreeves Deserves Better, Vanya Hargreeves Needs A Hug, Vanya Hargreeves-centric
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-26
Updated: 2021-02-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:33:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 10
Words: 50,764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28332441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FallenfromReality/pseuds/FallenfromReality
Summary: Years before their father kill himself, Vanya is brutally attacked, and the Hargreeves find themselves brought back together to try to help her recover. In the process they uncover a new, dangerous, threat to the family. Everything, and everyone they love hangs in the balance.Can they come together or will they fall back into the same old patterns and find themselves alone against the world?
Relationships: Allison Hargreeves & Vanya Hargreeves, Ben Hargreeves & Vanya Hargreeves, Diego Hargreeves & Vanya Hargreeves, Klaus Hargreeves & Vanya Hargreeves, Luther Hargreeves & Vanya Hargreeves, Number Five | The Boy & Vanya Hargreeves, Vanya Hargreeves & Eudora Patch, Vanya Hargreeves & Everyone, Vanya Hargreeves & Leonard Peabody
Comments: 178
Kudos: 308





	1. Chapter one: Vanya

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone, 
> 
> Thank you for taking the time to read this little story of mine! I've been toying with this idea for weeks and I'm hoping you all enjoy it. This is set in the umbrella academies very early twenties, before the book, and before the connection between the siblings has completely fractured.  
> At the moment I have the second chapter written and ready to go, but I'm hoping to have another few written before I publish the next segment. Currently this work is unbetaed, but I'm always happy to accept help as editing isn't always my forte. Or if you'd just like to leave a comment or a kudos, feel free! I always respond and I'm always looking for more people to gush about the Umbrella Academy with!  
> TRIGGER Warning:  
> There is implied sexual assault as well as some violence against a female character in this chapter! I did my best not to be grotesque or to make it a focal point. But if it makes you uncomfortable, you may want to skip the page directly after Vanya enters the alley!

Practice had ended hours ago, the rest of the orchestra streaming out in groups of twos or threes. None of them had spoken to her as they packed up, chatting to each other about the upcoming performance or bemoaning a mistake they'd made. Sometimes she felt invisible to them. Not a single eye straying to her as they walked out, not a single person questioning why she didn't pack up with the rest of them. If they had asked she might have answered honestly, but instead she silently lingered in her chair one hand resting on her violin as she watched them leave. When the last person left a part of her felt relieved. 

See she’d only made it onto the orchestra recently, and they had their first concert of the season coming up in just under a month. And she desperately needed to practice. Praying that she'd find some inner confidence that had been hiding within her all these years. Her anxiety shot through the roof every time she thought about the coming concert. 

It felt crazy, but she'd never actually performed on stage before. She’d been given the opportunity to perform with her college’s orchestra, one professor in particular begged her to audition but every time she thought about it her fathers words echoed in her ears. She was nothing but a talentless, ordinary, disgusting normal girl. Why would she ever think herself good enough for such a thing? In the end, she contented herself to play to the ghosts in her apartment, and to Mom on the rare occasion she snuck back into the Academy. But for some reason that had all changed when she spotted a flyer for the orchestra's auditions a few months ago, and to her surprise she’d made it. She’d expected to end up in an off stage role, but she’d landed third chair. A coveted position for a first time applicant and especially for someone like her, with no prior experience in an orchestra setting. Now her biggest fear had become stage fright. The idea that the second the curtain drew back she would freeze. Proving her father right about her before she’d even had the chance to prove him wrong. 

So, it had become somewhat of a ritual to stay late, practicing in a small seat at the center of the stage until she felt like her fingers would fall off. In the beginning she’d played in the dark, pleading with the security guard, Dave, to let her stay just a little longer. But she’d slowly won him over with small offerings of warm coffee and sweets. Now Dave simply left her a spare key and wished her a goodnight if she stayed past eleven. 

Something that had slowly morphed from an occasional occurrence to something she did nearly everyday as the concert drew closer. Tonight, she decided to finish with her favorite piece, as she did most nights, a haunting rendition of the Phantom of the Opera. 

As always, the familiar cords brought a strange sense of calm to her. Something about the pull of the notes, settled her, and she played her heart out. For just a moment all her fears and anxieties laid to rest. When the last note had faded away, she allowed herself to set her bow down and lower her violin. She took a moment to breathe, taking in the empty hall before her, and for a fleeting moment she thought she could do anything. As if power laid right at her fingertips and with a single stroke of her bow she could change the world.

But as always, the feeling faded, until she felt nothing. Until she was nothing.

With a heavy sigh, she forced herself to stand and she mechanically put her instrument away. As she latched the case closed, she grabbed the handle, securing her most prized possession before she moved to leave. She shut the lights off, Dave might revoke her privilege if she forgot, and left the orchestra hall. Careful to lock the door as she left, settling the key into her pants pocket. Always the right pocket. Don’t ask her why, it just felt right to have it there. 

She hadn’t bothered checking the time when she left, though she couldn’t imagine it being much past midnight. But it had gotten cold outside, and she wished for the warmth of the coat she'd left hanging beside her front door. She forgot sometimes how the cold crept in the minute the sunset, and she’d been overly confident about the warmth her flannel would provide. 

Still, if she rushed and took a few short cuts she could be back in the warmth of her apartment before she knew it.

So, she pulled her flannel a little tighter around herself and set off in the proper direction. She’d done this so many times now, that she felt no real fear walking alone at night, and though she rarely strayed from the main streets, she’d become comfortable enough to slip into an alley without hesitation. No one had ever given her trouble before, and the only thing of any value she had on her was her violin. Something the average criminal wouldn’t give a second thought to when compared to money or jewels. The thought that someone might want something from her other than money or valuables never even crossed her mind. Why would it? No one would ever look twice at ordinary number seven. And so, she walked down the street, this strange confidence buoying her as she made her way through the first alley and made a sharp cut through the second. 

She thought she might have heard something behind her at some point, but she didn’t think much of it. Her pace picking up a little, whether out of some sense of paranoia or merely the increased bite of the wind, whose to say. Didn’t really let herself linger on it, if she were honest, why borrow trouble after all? 

Even with the increased darkness of the alley ways and side streets, she recognized that she’d only need to go another few blocks before she got home and felt herself relaxing further. 

Something about the thought of her apartment being close made her feel safe. 

She regretted that confidence mere seconds after she entered the smallest of the alleys on her path. Ironically, the last alley before she spilled back onto the main street a mere block and a half from her tiny studio. Because moments after she rounded the corner into the alley, she felt a hand grab her arm, grip so tight she could feel the bruises forming beneath it, “What the fuck,” She gasped, trying to wrench her arm free as her mind tried to reorient itself to this new, dangerous, situation. 

“Keep your mouth shut,” A voice hissed as the hand around her arm tightened and she found herself being pulled forward. Instinctively in that moment, despite her utter lack of combat training, she felt herself fighting. She dropped her violin and hit the person in front of her with all her might. For a second she thought she’d done some damage, but then he laughed, and the sound sent a shiver up her spine. 

“Somehow, I thought when I found you that you would present more of a challenge,” The mans voice sounded eerily calm, “But I guess there’s a reason you were number seven. Clearly, you wouldn’t have been able to keep up with the rest of the academy.” 

Fear shot through her like lightning, “How do you-” before she could finish her question pain erupted from her face, and warm hot blood rushed down her chin. She felt herself being thrown to the ground, and a heavy hot weight pressed her brutally into the cold pavement below her. 

She opened her mouth starting to scream, “Now, now number seven, none of that,” The voice crooned as hands wrapped around her throat and started to squeeze so tightly the scream died as she struggled to breath. She tried to thrash, her fingernails scratching weakly against his wrists unable to do more than skitter across his skin. Her nails had to be kept short to play the violin. 

She’d never regretted that fact before. 

But in that moment she wished she had claws at the end of her fingers, wanted desperately to rip flesh from bone, to make him bleed. Make him feel just an ounce of what she felt. If only she were Allison or Diego, then she'd make him suffer, but instead, she was just weak little Vanya. Unable to do more than fumble gracelessly against his grasp, her grip getting weaker with every second he deprived her of oxygen. Just when her vision had started to go black and her hands had fallen away from his, oxygen flooded into her as his grip loosened. She gasped desperately for air, gratitude flooding her for a second as she took in a shuttering, sobbing breaths.

“Don’t scream again,” The man hissed, giving her throat a forceful squeeze as if to emphasize his point, and she nodded. Unsure she could scream even if she wanted to. Her whole throat felt like flamed licked up it, and her nose, another sharp point of pain, felt blocked up. She eyed the man above her, trying to blink past the pain and focus on his face. When she finally saw him, for some reason the sight of the soft, normal looking male face above her made it that much more frightening. 

She’d expected him to look monstrous. To have a face that matched the cold, detached, voice that had whispered in her ear. Instead, if they were anywhere else, she might have though the face above her looked like that of a nice person. The kind of guy who’d hold the door open and call her ma’am. 

“What-What do you want?” She whispered, even the small sounds ravishing her throat as she pushed them out.

He smiled, such an awful thing that smile, “I’m sorry, how rude of me number seven, I should have introduced myself earlier. My name is Harold, and I’m the umbrella academies biggest fan. Or at least I used to be,” the words seemed to replace the awful emptiness in his eyes with a rage so deep it almost burned her, “Until you all betrayed me, you see I was born on the same day as you. I should have been special too, and I spent my whole life trying to prove it. Not that anyone every believed me," The bitterness in his voice felt eerily familiar. She herself had often wished to be special like the others, to have powers, and to have acceptance from the others. 

Not that she felt any sympathy for him, the current situation didn't lend itself to that, but a distant part of her understood the feeling, "I even tried to talk to One and Three once, I'd got all the way to the academy's doors. But they just laughed and call me a freak, you see, I thought you all would understand, but you rejected me too," His face contorted further, "Just like my father, and you see number seven," he'd gotten so close to her that she could smell the coffee he'd had, "I made my father pay for what he did, now its time for the Umbrella Academy to do the same. Because, you all could have helped me at a time when I needed you the most. But you chose not to, so now you get to live with the consequences of that choice. See I’ve had a lot of time to think about your betrayal, your failures to help me when I needed it. A lot of time to plan my revenge, and this is just the start. The first act in this little tragedy, I'm sorry we have to start with you, number seven. Originally, I'd planned to start with number four, he always seemed like the easiest target. But in prison you meet the most interesting people, and someone let slip that they’d heard about a seventh member of the academy.”

“Can you imagine my surprised?” He asked her as if they were having a casual conversation over produce at the supermarket, but he continued before she could even begin to muster a reply, his hands tightening against her throat as he spoke again, “The moment I heard it, everything shifted, and you became my new fascination. After all, how could I be your greatest fan if I didn't even know about one of you? So as soon as I got out, I found myself staking out the academy, just to see if my little birdy had been correct, and imagine my surprise when a few weeks ago you pranced in as if you owned the place. The robot and the monkey, even number one,” Luther’s title hissed out with red hot rage, “spoke to you as if he knew you. It was all the confirmation I needed, so I started to follow you, it was so easy number seven. Almost too easy, but I waited for weeks for even the hint that one of your siblings might check up on you or that your father had surveillance on you. But to my surprise nothing, and so, I decided tonight would be the perfect night to send my first message.” 

She’d begun to shake at some point, and it took everything in her not to cry. Why did she have to be the weak one? The helpless one?

Her whole life she’d wished for powers, wished to be special like the others, but now she closed her eyes and begged. Begged that a miracle would occur and something, anything, would rush through her veins and free her from this nightmare.

But as always, nothing happened, and the sharp impact of a fist forced her eyes open.

“Don’t you dare ignore me,” Harold hissed, his eyes furious as he brought his fist down once more, “I want you with me for every second of this, Seven, and if you try to look away it will only make this worse for you.” 

The pain made it impossible to think straight, and fear blinded her as she saw the flash of a blade above her. Then felt the cool slice of metal as her shirt was cut open. somehow she almost thought it would have been better to feel the knife enter the soft flesh now exposed to the cold. 

Death might have been kinder than what followed. 

By the time he finished, every part of her felt awash with pain, and she felt as if her insides had been scooped out. She’d cried at first, but now she just stared unblinkingly at him. Unable to process what had just happened to her, unwilling to look away, some distant part of her too afraid to find out what happened if she did. 

“God, look at you,” Harold whispered, bringing a hand up to cradle her bruised cheek, “You’re absolutely disgusting, worse than trash,” He said it so lovingly, that it took her brain far to long to process what he said, and even after everything the words hurt her somewhere deep inside. That sick, endless, smile on his face sending a fresh wave of terror through her. 

His hand slid slowly away from her face, and he rose to his feet, “I’m sick of looking at you, number seven, but I hope you enjoyed our time together. Don’t forget to pass my message on to the academy or I’ll have to come back to finish what I started.” Each word was punctuated by a kick, some to her side, to her stomach as her broken body tried to curl around itself, one to the head and a few to her chest. The last one landed on the arm she’d raised to protect her head. She swore she felt something snap, and she let out a loud hiss of pain. She would have screamed but she didn’t have the breath for that.

“Goodnight Vanya,” Harold called, “get home safe, okay?” 

She heard him laugh, and then she heard his footsteps slowly retreating down the alley. For the longest time she stayed still, trying to orient herself, trying to find where the pain started and ended. 

At some point she rolled onto her stomach, her whole body screaming, as she tried to crawl towards her violin case. But she couldn’t get her body to work. Somehow even it failed her. 

Powerless. 

Helpless.

Worthless. 

The words echoed again and again in her head as she lay there. the icy cold of the alley slowly sinking into her bones. She welcomed the numb. 

Anything to numb the pain.  
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Enter Diego

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who tuned in for the first chapter, I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as the first! Diego is one of my favorite characters, I think he has hidden depth to him, and I think he often gets pushed to the side for the more obliviously intriguing siblings. I hope I did him justice, and as always feel free to leave comments, questions, concerns or kudos. They are my life blood!  
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Diego didn’t roam the streets at night like he used to. 

Back before the police academy, before Dora, before he made his grand escape from The Academy, he’d walked them nearly every night. Sometimes roaming the dark alleys and shadowy streets from dusk to dawn. Just trying to stop that feeling in his chest. The tightness that came from the pressure that built and built until it felt like he would explode any second. 

Made him feel like he couldn’t breathe. 

Couldn’t think. 

But these days things were good, and that feeling practically vanished. The anxiety he’d struggled with in his childhood a thing of the past. Most nights he lay besides Dora peace settling inside him as he drifted off to the steady sound of her breathing and the warmth of her body. It seemed, despite his father’s predictions, that he had made something of himself without having to dawn a mask and become The Kraken. In a few months he’d be graduating from the police academy, vying with Dora for top of the class, he had an apartment, and a girlfriend. He even managed to make a few friends that they occasionally had over to watch football or take part in the game nights Dora started organizing when she found out he’d never played monopoly. Or any board game for that matter. Turns out he loved Monopoly. Even if Dora was the world’s worst cheater.

And, okay, maybe he cheated too. But sue him, he’d spent the majority of his life playing number two, every once in a while, he wanted to be number one.

Today though, that itch had started under his skin, and he could feel the tightness building in his chest all day. He hated that feeling, the way it made it seem impossible to take a deep breath or focus on anything but the thrum under his skin. 

He made it through the day with gritted teeth and occasional grunts at the people around him. Dora, and a few of their friends giving him concerned looks throughout the day. Even Ian, his favorite instructor, pulled him aside at the end of class to check on him. He brushed him off with a flimsy excuse, something about a headache or a cold, and rushed out of the classroom. 

People’s concern still felt foreign, fake, as if any second they’d pull the rug out from beneath him and he’d be right back where he started. With no one and nothing to care about him. Still, he tried to be normal, but when he got home, he’d been unable to muster the energy for even a mundane conversation over dinner. Spearing his takeout as if it were Dads head on his plate and grunting every time Dora tried to talk to him. She’d finally rolled her eyes at him, finishing her meal in silence before retreating to the living room to study for their upcoming exam without a word in his direction. By the time they were getting ready for bed he felt like a live wire. Every inch of him hot and itchy, his chest feeling tighter and tighter with each passing breath. But he forced himself to change, to get into bed beside her, and he tried to stay there. Tried to be normal as he held Dora tighter as if her heartbeat could chase away the thoughts plaguing his mind. 

For a while it even worked, but eventually he found himself watching the minutes tick by. The restlessness and the angst growing as each minute passed, Dora’s peaceful face only served to remind him that there were people out there who needed him. 

Needed to be protected-No needed to be saved from the monsters roaming the streets. 

People that needed a hero. Not a cop.

By midnight, the itch had turned into a burn and he found himself sneaking out of his bed. He crept into the guest room and pulled down a briefcase, wiping away a fine layer of dust as he opened it. He took out everything but the domino mask. At this point he would rather smear his face with tactical paint or the eyeliner he’d stolen off Dora a few months ago. Anything but wearing that mask. 

Anything but that. 

He threw everything on quickly, slipping down the stairs and out the door without a sound. Just a few runs through the neighborhood, he promised himself as he strode down the street, and then he’d go home to get a few hours’ sleep before work in the morning. 

The second the night air hit his face he felt his chest loosen, and he found himself taking in a deep breath of the fresh frosty air. The smell of the city intimately familiar to him, his whole body relaxing as he started a grid like patrol of the ten blocks around the townhouse. 

It will just be a few hours, just this once, he promised. 

Just this once. 

He stopped a few muggings, returned a purse to an elderly woman, escorted said woman home as she filled the air between them with meaningless chatter, and even broken up what looked like the start of a bar fight in an alley by his favorite spot. He took a moment to appreciate the fact that he had a favorite spot before he refocused on his mission. He intercepted another mugger, even got in a few good seconds of fight before he ended it with a swift punch to the man’s temple. He felt the familiar pulse of adrenaline and the burn of pleasure that came after a job well done. Everything in him felt alive and satisfied. It was time to go home. He only had an hour or two before dawn. He had stayed out later than he intended but it had worth it to quiet the demons in his head.

Worth it to know that he quieted them enough to sleep. To actually rest for the little time, he had left before his alarm went off at 0500. 

It felt good. 

He had ended up about twenty minutes from home, so he decided to cut through some of the smaller, dingier, alleys to get there a little faster. With his mind already halfway in bed with Dora, he started humming quietly at the thought of the warm press of her body against his. It would chase away the cold of the night faster than anything else. At some point on his walk, he started tossing a knife aimlessly back and forth in his hand, and he took a moment to appreciate the feel of the steel in his grip. His mind wondering further away as he entered the smallest alley on his journey, and the one nearly adjacent to his townhouse. At first, he didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary but then he heard the faintest cry. Immediately he went quiet, grabbing his knife out of the air and advancing forward cautiously. Every sense aimed ahead of him, nothing jumping out at him until he gotten almost to the end of the alley. Then in the shadows before him he could just make out a figure on the ground, the mouth of the alley mere feet from them.

“Hey,” He called, “are you okay?” 

He always thought of Klaus in moments like this. Wondered if the person before him had one two many at a local bar or if they, like his brother, hit the harder stuff. He tried to be kind to the people he ran into in places like this. Both in his official blues and in his unofficial blacks. 

He hoped it would tip the scales in some way. Maybe cause the next person who found Klaus to be just a touch kinder to him. He knew from experience how most people in this city treated the resident junkies. How even the nicest cops he worked with thought them to be little more than scum, and though he pretended it didn’t, it hurt to imagine what they might think of his brother. How they might think of him if they knew what his brother was. 

No response, so he tried again, a little louder this time, “Hey, you alright?”

His voice boomed through the alley, and he thought he heard the faintest moan in response. So, he moved closer until he could make out the distinct shape of a woman, possibly a teenager given her size, face down on the ground, her clothes torn and blood pooling beneath her in small dark puddles. 

Not a druggie after all, his mind whispered as dread filled his gut. Had he even checked this alley earlier? Or had he been too busy walking old ladies’ home to stop a rape? 

“Miss?” He asked, his voice soft as he approached, “Miss, can you hear me?” 

For a long moment things were quiet but then, as he crouched down beside her, the woman moved her head up towards him. His heart stopping in his chest, as a voice he recognized whispered, “D’ego?” 

He almost didn’t recognize his baby sister, bruises and blood covering her face, her voice gravely and distorted. Thankfully, his instincts took over as his mind failed to comprehend the sight before him. A voice that must be his own filling the space, “Vanya, how badly are you hurt? Can you move?” 

His mind now glossing over the state of her clothes, how her shirt had been torn and her pants shoved to her ankles, instead focusing on the things he could fix. The things that he could do. For starters, the blood, it seemed like so much more of it now that he realized who it belonged to. Her arm looked wrong, and he could hear the whistle of her breath from where he knelt beside her. Broken ribs, a concussion, and blood coming from somewhere. 

“It hurts,” His sister rasped, her eyes unfocused and her voice hoarse, “please…” 

She trailed off, and he instinctually moved to turn her over so he could pick her up, mindlessly moving the fabric of her shirt to cover her. She felt like ice, and he realized just how cold the night had grown. 

God, how long had she been here? He didn’t see a coat anywhere, and what little she had been wearing had been reduced to shreds. 

When he got her onto her back, he couldn’t contain the curses that slipped from his lips. Her face looked even worse, her throat a harsh black ring of bruises, and blood smeared down from her chin to her chest. She had other injuries, but the light made it hard to distinguish bruises from shadows.

He needed to get her somewhere safe. 

He needed to get her help. 

“Vanya,” He whispered urgently, “Vanya, I’m going to pick you up, and take you home, okay?” 

She just blinked at him, her gaze even more unfocused, “Whre’re the others?” She slurred quietly, “D-dad will be home soon…” She trailed off again, and he took it as a sign to pick her up. The pained gasp that escaped as he lifted her felt like a hot poker being slammed into his gut.  
He tried to be as gentle as possible as he practically sprinted towards his house, each step sending another stab of guilt into his chest as Vanya cried out quietly in his arms. 

He often forgot how tiny their youngest sister was. But as he ran, he realized it felt as if he were carrying a child, not a grown woman. 

How could anyone hurt her? 

How could anyone hurt someone so vulnerable? God, they all failed her. Their littlest sister, the most defenseless of them all, and none of them had bothered to check on her. He couldn’t even remember the last time he’d seen her. And he knew they’d never taught her to protect herself, despite the fact they knew firsthand the evils out in the world. Why hadn’t they taught her how to protect herself? Why had they left her so vulnerable? The self-recriminations screamed in his head as he arrived at his door. 

It felt like hours, but he knew it had been mere minutes, “Vanya, you still with me?” At some point her eyes had slid shut, a pained expression tightening her features, but she managed something like a nod, “Okay, I need to get the door open, stay awake.” 

He’d never been so grateful for his training at the academy and the ride-a-long’s he’d done with senior officers. He’d seen them talk to victims, watched them handle them, and now he fell back hard on everything he’d learned. It helped him to stay calm, to not let Vanya know just how messed up he felt. As he pushed open the door, he ran towards the living room and gently deposited his sister on the couch. Pulling a blanket over her, before running to the stairs and shouting for Dora. Then he grabbed his work phone off the table and dialed the emergency number, his ears straining to hear Dora’s movement even as he listened to the dial tone of the phone. 

He moved back to the couch, kneeling beside Vanya as he carefully took the fingers of her uninjured arm in his, “Vanya, I’m here.” 

Distantly he heard dispatch pick up, and he recited the situation to them, “11-41, needed at 18330 old park road, possible assault victim,” by the time he finished listing her injuries Dora had appeared besides them confusion clear on her face. 

He set the phone down, and she immediately asked, “What the fuck Diego, who is this? What happened to her? And why are you dressed like a poor boys batman?” 

“She’s my sister, Vanya, I found her in an alley on my way home,” He had to clear his throat before he continued, his vision feeling blurry for some reason, “I don’t know what happened or how she ended up there, but she needs help.” The fingers in his tightened almost imperceptibly, and he felt something wet sliding down his cheeks. 

Her fingers were just so small in his. 

So fragile. 

Dora’s fingers, warm and familiar, brushed against his cheek, “Oh Diego, I’m so sorry,” She didn’t say anything about his avoidance of her last question, instead turning to Vanya, “Hey Vanya, my names Eudora, and I’m going to stay here with you and Diego, okay?” 

His heart nearly burst with the flood of warmth he felt watching Dora lean over Vanya with a kind smile on her face, “The ambulance is coming, and we are going to make sure that they take the best care of you.”

Dora had always had a way with people-with victims, his mind corrected even as the idea of his sister being one of those victims threatened to break him, “Diego? Diego,” her voice re-anchored him to the present, “Did they say how long until the ambulance gets here?” 

“Eta three minutes,” He responded on auto-pilot, the first two months of training had done more to him than a decade and a half under Dads thumb. His brain now responded instinctually to certain tones and commands, able to recite a laundry list of information with minimal prompting.

Dora nodded, shooting him a worried look, before turning back to Vanya a smile reaffixed to her face, “Did you hear that Vanya? Help is only a few minutes away, until then we are going to keep you warm and I need you to tell me if you feel anything change. We don’t know how extensive your injuries are and you know your body better than we do.” 

He didn’t think she knew much of anything right now. Not with the way her eyes seemed to phase in and out of focus, and how her fingers trembled in his. Shock, his mind supplied, she must be going into shock. Between the trauma she’d suffered and the cold, her body would be at war with itself. Trying and failing to reestablish the normal chemical balance within her. 

The next few minutes were rough as he tried to stay present and pay attention to Vanya in case something happened. But his own body wanted to shut down, wanted to believe that this simply had not happened. 

By the time the doorbell rang, he’d worked himself into a complete frenzy, his mind a whirlwind even as his body stayed still guarding his sister dutifully. Thankfully, Dora got up to open the door to the paramedics, who rushed down the hall and into the living room. 

From there it was all a blur. 

He found himself getting into an ambulance, watching with muted horror as they raced around his sister, who looked even tinier on the stretcher. Somehow, he failed to notice how pale she’d been in the alley or on his couch, but against the sheets she looked completely devoid of color. Distantly he heard them muttering words like, hypothermia, shock, head trauma, internal bleeding, and other medical buzz words that made him feel as if someone had taken his heart in their hands and started squeezing. 

But nothing sunk in. Nothing felt real.

It just felt like a sick dream, like a nightmare he’d wake from any second now. 

Until his sister’s eyes rolled back in her head and her body began to seize. He heard the heart monitor squealing as the paramedics started to rush around her like angry bees, the ambulance seemed to speed up as they barreled towards the local hospital. He had seen a lot of fucked up things in his life. Done a lot of fucked up things too. But he’d never let it affect him, never frozen in fear in the real life or death situations. He’d earned his title, and he’d earned his place in the rankings of the academy. 

In that moment though, watching his sisters tiny body jerk and tremor against the gurney, he felt powerless in a way that even Dad had been unable to cause. Even in the tank he knew mom would keep him from dying. Knew that at some point it would stop. But this felt endless. 

He never let himself be broken by his life. By the things he’d done or the things that he had been done to him. By sheer force of will he had kept himself pieced together. Even after five disappeared, and Ben died, he’d made himself keep going. Closing himself off piece by piece to ensure that he kept the fractures inside himself from splintering into a thousand tiny pieces.

But in this moment the Kraken felt a million miles away, and he physically felt himself breaking as he watched his baby sister fight for life. The irony of number seven, the powerless, average, the absolutely painfully normal one, reducing him to this might have made him laugh in different circumstances. But now he just wanted her to stop shaking. 

He just wanted to wake up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys still love me after this! Diego's ability to handle shit is being challenged so completely in this moment, and I feel like he thinks of himself as such a protector, such a hero really. That to know that he's failed someone, and not just anyone, but his sister. I think he's going to really struggle with this. I'm going to try to keep it from being a complete angst fest but prepare yourself for the next few chapters. Especially once it comes out that this wasn't just a random attack.


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When are things with the Hargreeves ever simple? More questions and less answers as the storm continues to rage around the Hargreeves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone,
> 
> Thank you again to everyone whose left kudos and comments! You guys make it easy to write, and I want to assure you that I already have the next chapter finished. I'll be working on finishing the fifth chapter before I publish it though. I'm currently working as a covid crisis nurse, so I'm trying to keep a chapter ahead so if I hit a rough patch I still have something to publish for you all! 
> 
> Hope you enjoy the chapter and hopefully I'm not driving you too crazy waiting to find out whats going on with Vanya.

All day Eudora knew something had to be wrong with Diego, the way he’d been acting during class, and the cave-man silence at dinner. He seemed fidgety and flighty, as if the walls were closing in and he might race out the door any second.

To what she didn’t know. 

But she decided to let it go, simply too tired to try to unravel him, to pick at his scabs until the wounds that lingered inside him bled again. Until he told her whatever awful thing had triggered him. The memories from the time they tried to take a bath still fresh in her mind. She didn’t know if she’d ever stop picturing him drowning in a vat of water merely so his father could test how long he could how he breath. 

She hated herself for it, really she did, but she just wanted to sleep. Between the academy, her part time job at the shop, and everything else in her life sleep had become a rarity. So, when they’d gotten into bed, she let him curl around her, relishing the tightening of his arms around her even as the thunderous beat of his heart sent alarm bells ringing. Still, she pushed it aside, gave him a gentle kiss and allowed herself to close her eyes. 

Hours later when she’d felt him slide off the mattress and heard the gentle creak of the door, she ignored it. If he wanted to brood by himself instead of sleeping when they had training in the morning, that was his choice. She refused to lose any sleep over it. So instead of getting up to check on him, something her heart screamed at her to do, she rolled over and went back to sleep. 

He’d be back, and hopefully be in a better mood in the morning.

But instead of waking up to him sliding back in beside her, she’d woken to him screaming up the stairs, and crashed out of bed as fear and adrenaline warred within her. Seconds later she’d been running down the stairs and found him, in black tactical gear, holding the hand of a tiny, battered woman. The woman, his sister apparently, didn’t even open her eyes when she came down the stairs towards them.

A sister she, along with the rest of the world, didn’t even know existed. 

What the actual fuck had her life become? Sometimes she questioned her sanity in allowing one of the Hargreeves into her life, but in that moment, she pushed it all aside to focus on the victim. 

She may not have known Vanya existed prior to her appearance, bruised and battered, on her living room couch. But her heart absolutely broke for her and for Diego. From the moment she met him, he’d been unflinching, confident even in the face of things that broke the rest of them, and it had taken months before she’d been allowed to see the heart that lay beneath the armor. But in all that time, she’d never seen him look lost or scared like he did now. 

Fear, anger, and sorrow at war on his face as he’d tried to tell her what happened. She knew at some point she’d have to ask him about the batman get up he’d been wearing, and question what he’d even been doing in a random alley at three am.   
But all of that had to wait. 

Right now, their only priority had to be Vanya, and she had to keep Diego together long enough for them to figure out what the hell had happened to her. 

She’d known about the academy, knew Diego had been adopted, but this tiny, fragile creature before her had never been mentioned. Even knowing they shared no genetic make-up; she couldn’t wrap her mind around how two such different people might have come from the same home. 

Even in her quick assessment of the situation, she could tell that Vanya held little muscle on her body. Her thinness bordering on unnatural, and every part of her looked fragile. As if a single touch or a strong gust of wind might knock her over.Compared to Diego, who had been carved with muscle, and covered in scars. It felt like they had no place in the same home. She knew even from pictures, stories, and the occasional movie of Allison’s she snuck into their apartment, that the other siblings were all tough, hardened by the life they’d been forced into by their father. A man she considered more monster than human. Between the scraps Diego had given her about his life growing up, and the things her father had let slip about them. She never once envied his life and wished that they had been able to do something about that man. If anyone deserved to go to jail for child abuse it had to be him. Now, to know that they had another sibling, one kept secret from the world, she wondered what other horrors Reginald Hargreeves had managed to hide. 

Thoughts for another time. 

“Go, Diego,” She told him, propelling him towards the ambulance as the paramedics loaded up his sister, “I’ll call into the station and meet you there.” 

Diego nodded, but she could tell he hadn’t heard a thing she’d said to him. Without a word he mechanically entered the ambulance, almost tripping as he stepped in, his eyes so focused on his sister that he didn’t notice the extra space between the last step and the ambulance floor. She wanted nothing more than to race to his side, to get in beside him, and hold his hand as they raced to the hospital.   
But she couldn’t. As always, she had to be the sensible one. 

The responsible one. 

She would be there for him once she got everything sorted, and then she wouldn’t leave his side until they knew Vanya would be okay. She gave the paramedics a nod, before rushing back into the house, grabbing Diego’s phone, and dialing the number to the precinct. 

“Hey Doris,” She tried for calm but from Doris’s tone she missed the mark, “Yeah, Diego and I are fine, but Diego’s sister had a bad accident, she’s on the way to the hospital now and Diego’s going with her. I wanted to see if there was any way we could both be excused from training today?”

“Oh honey, I’m so sorry, I don’t think it will be any problem, but let me check with the chief,” Doris’s warm motherly voice had filled with sorrow. Doris always joked that all of them were like her children, and she loved nothing more than to see them succeed. But her heart never bled harder than when one of them struggled. She witnessed it often with other officers and trainees, but she never thought she’d find herself on the receiving end. 

She heard the click of the phone being put on hold and tried not to pace as she waited. Her eyes, drifting to the couch, noting a blood stain where Vanya had been laying. 

It seemed so big. 

The worry in her heart increasing as she thought of the tiny young woman, and how little blood she must have to lose. She had to remind herself that she didn’t even know Vanya. She had no right to be this worried. To be this scared for a virtual stranger.   
But it did nothing to quell the tightening in her gut or the pang of her heart. 

Just when she started to think she might wear a hole in the floor, Doris picked the line back up, “Eudora, honey, the chief said to take all the time you need. Neither of you have ever missed a single day of training and he knows you wouldn’t ask if it weren’t serious. All of us are praying for Diego’s sister, and you make sure to let us know if you two need anything at all, okay?” 

She managed to reply with something like an affirmation, saying a quick thank you and goodbye before hanging up. With that done, she rushed up the stairs, practically flinging her pajamas off and shoving her body into a pair of leggings and a loose sweater. She brushed her teeth and threw her hair into a ponytail without even glancing at the mirror.

Just before she ran out of the room, she remembered Diego’s get up, and rushed back to his side of the room to grab a pair of sweats and a hoodie for him. Something told her that he wanted to get out of his blood-stained clothes. She couldn’t even imagine how it would feel to be wearing something covered in your sibling’s blood. She sent a quick prayer up that she never had to find out. She knew she had gloves and some extra evidence collection bags in her car. She would have him change and try to keep the clothing as uncontaminated as possible in case they were needed during the investigation. The cop and the person at war within her. She wished she didn’t have to care, but she knew when things cleared, Diego would do anything to hunt down the person who’d done this. 

“Clothes, check, cell phone-check, chargers-check, cleared from work-check,” She paused, trying to think of anything else they might need.

“Coffee!” 

If they were going to be waiting in the ER lobby, she would make sure they had coffee and breakfast sandwiches from that place around the corner that Diego loved. It wouldn’t fix anything, and it certainly wouldn’t erase the memories of Vanya broken on their couch. But it might make things just a little easier, and for right now that might be the only thing she could do for him. Just to make things a little easier for the emotionally constipated disaster of a man she’d come to love more than anything. 

With that, she grabbed her purse, and dashed out the door. With a relish she would later deny, she slid behind the steering wheel of Diego’s vintage beauty and gunned it to the coffee shop. Minutes later she was on the way to the hospital coffees and sandwiches in hand. 

On the drive she tried to prepare herself for the state Diego might be in. But nothing had prepared her for the sight of him. He sat in a chair directly across from the ER doors, head down, and hands seemingly clasped in prayer as his whole body shook. The tremoring so slight she might not have noticed it if she didn’t know him so well. He didn’t even look up as she strode towards him. At first, she thought his gaze was directed at the floor, but as she got closer, she realized his eyes were transfixed on the door. As if by sheer will power, he could make them open and have his sister walk out. 

Her heart hurt for him, for the woman she barely knew but wished so desperately to have the chance to know. Hurt for the possibility that she might have met her for the first and last time. Hurt to think that someone Diego cared for so deeply had been hurt so badly, and that he had to be the one to find her.

She hurt for all of it. 

For all of them. 

The Hargreeves, who seemed so strong, but were really all so terribly broken.   
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
The smell of coffee and breakfast sandwiches from Francesca’s filled his nose causing him to look up just as Dora stopped before him. Relief flooded him, thick and heavy, at the sight of her. Only the voice of Reginald, sharp and disappointed in his head, stopped him from pulling her into his embrace. Weakness, that nasty voice whispered in his head, you don’t deserve comfort. You don’t need it.

But he did. 

God, he did, he didn’t even know how long he’d been sitting here. But it felt like an eternity had passed since he’d watched them wheel Vanya into the back. The scream of the doctors and the nurses as they closed the door in his face still echoing in his head. He knew that it had to be bad. He’d seen enough on the job to know that raised voices were not a good sign. 

He stood before the doors for a while, before a kind faced nurse had taken his hand, and led him to a seat. They checked Vanya in, having to stop many times as his voice failed him or his stuttered started so badly that he had to take a minute to breathe before continuing. But he got it all out. Trying to remember to breathe when his words ran together. Tried to imagine his mother’s hand on his shoulder breathing with him until he calmed enough to speak. God, he wished Mom would simply appear beside him, take charge of this whole situation. 

Funny, isn’t it? How the thing we think we want always turns out to be a crock of shit. Back at the academy he would have killed Luther to be number one, and now he’d kill to have anyone else take control. 

Pathetic. 

But he got it together enough to tell the woman the basics: his sisters age, her birthday, her blood type, and about the anxiety pills she’d been taking for as long as he could remember. Of course, he couldn’t tell her much else. Didn’t know if Vanya had insurance or where she worked or if she had an apartment or a home. Didn’t know if she’d ever been hurt before, he had vague memories of the bruises that appeared after she’d been summoned to their father’s study. He’d even seen her in casts, and some time’s she simply vanished for days or weeks on end. But he’d never questioned it or wondered what happened. So he had no answer to give. Shame and disgust burned heavy in his gut, but the nurse never looked judgmental or disappointed. Simply moved on to the next thing until they completed all the documents. Then she left him, one gentle hand squeezing his shoulder, and directing him to a seat across from the doors they’d taken Vanya through. She assured him that she would let the medical team know to come update him. Though she couldn’t tell him when that would be or anything about Vanya’s current condition. 

That had been at least an hour ago, and he’d steadily lost himself in a haze of guilt, self-recrimination and shame. Just another reason to be grateful for Dora’s arrival. She might be able to shepherd away the demons and help him redirect his energy to something more positive. 

“Here,” She told him gently, pressing a small bag into his hands, “I brought you a change of clothes, why don’t you go to the bathroom, wash up a little, and change. When you come back out you can have your coffee and your breakfast sandwich.” 

He nodded jerkily, standing up, he started to walk away but stopped, “Get me if they come out?”

“Of course,” Her eyes were serious as she gestured for him to go on, “I won’t let them talk until I’ve gotten you, okay?”

He nodded again and took off towards the bathroom. The idea of new clothes simply brought back into focus the dried red flakes on his hands, and the wet patches on the front of his t-shirt. Blood, his mind supplied, Vanya’s blood. You’re covered in Vanya’s blood. Nausea hit him like a freight train, and he barely made it into the bathroom. His knees collapsing beneath him as he vomited. Every glance up at his fingers causing another bout of gagging as he took in the rusty brown flakes again. 

Minutes passed before he slumped against the rim of the toilet, eyes shut, and head pounding. He knew Dora would come looking for him soon, and the idea that he might cause her to abandon her post forced him to shove off the ground. Making his way mechanically to the sink to rinse out his mouth and wash the blood from his hands. The brownish red tint of the water almost enough to send him back to the toilet. But he forced himself to remain up-right, forced himself to pull his clothes off, putting them into evidence bags as carefully as he could, and then he put on the clean clothing that Dora had brought him. Splashing his face with water he met his own eyes in the mirror. It seemed as if a hundred years had weighed upon his face since yesterday. His own eyes dark with horror and anger, the skin of his face seeming to sag under the weight of what he’d seen. 

How had this happened? 

How had things gone so wrong? 

Resolutely, he turned away from his own reflection, from the horror he saw reflected there, and trudged out of the bathroom. Back to the brightest thing in his life, though he felt sick at his own relief, he just wanted to be beside her again. To get a reprieve from the endless cycle of guilty what if’s, and the horror he felt as he tried to come to terms with what had happened. To what Vanya had gone through on his watch. 

It never should have happened. 

He should have stopped it. 

“Diego?” Somehow Dora looked more worried, not less, now that he’d changed out of the blood-soaked clothes, “Here, take a coffee, and then we can make a game plan, okay?” 

A plan, yes, his brain instantly clung to the idea, and he felt himself redirecting even as he took the coffee and sat beside Dora. His whole body feeling warm the second his shoulder touched hers, and blessed silence sunk into his head. For a moment, the thoughts that had been whirling for hours, fading away. 

He brought the coffee to his lips, and took a single sip before Dora shattered his calm again, “Diego, I  
know you aren’t close, but don’t you think your family should be here? Your mom and your siblings deserve to know, don’t you think?”   
How long had he sat here staring like a fucking idiot, and he hadn’t once thought to tell the others. Number two for the win. 

“Y-rou’re right,” He choked as his hands started to tremble forcing him to clench them tightly to try to hide his weakness from the world, “Pogo should still have Allison’s number, and Luther still lives at the academy.”

A hand took his, “Diego, breathe for me, okay? Do you want me to call for you?” 

If he were a stronger person, a better man, and an actual leader, he would have said no, but he said yes before he could second guess himself. Even the thought that his father might pick up the phone had the trembling growing worse and his breath quickening. Hatred and fear were powerful things, and he had both in spades when it came to Reginald Hargreeves.

“Here,” He handed her the phone, the number already pulled up, “Ask for Pogo, but if Luther or Grace pick up, give the phone to me.” 

She nodded, but then paused, “What do you want me to do if your father picks up?” 

“Hang up,” He didn’t want Dora exposed to that bastard for even a second, not even for something as important as this. He knew that his father didn’t care about Vanya and would actively impede his attempts to reach out to the others. 

“Okay,” She responded, and then she dialed the number. He listened intently, his heart rate picking up with every single ring, before it stuttered to a stop as a soft feminine voice picked up. Dora’s voice sounded calm as she said hello and asked if she was speaking to Grace Hargreeves. He couldn’t hear his mother’s reply, but his heart pounded as longing filled his chest. 

Before he could even begin to think of a way to tell her, Dora had passed the phone to him, “Diego?” His mothers voice chimed, warm as always, but an undercurrent of worry beneath the sunshine, “Diego, that nice young woman said you needed to speak to me, is something wrong?”

“M-m-m,” He tried, God he tried, but he just couldn’t get the words out. Every attempt simply made it worse until he couldn’t even get the first letter out. 

A soft sigh filled the phone, “Oh Diego, sweetheart, remember to take a breath, and let it out,” He complied, “Good, now take one more, and then I want you to try again, okay?” 

The soft reassurance in her voice buoyed him, though it did little to dampen the dread in his chest, “M-mom, Vanya s-she’s been attacked, M-mom, s-s-she’s in the h-hospital.” 

“Vanya’s been attacked?” The sunshine had left her voice, the only other time he could remember it leaving her had been when Ben left but never returned, “What do you mean? Where are you? Diego? Please, can you put Vanya on the phone?”

The please broke his heart, and he wished Vanya was there to smile that sad smile of hers and take the phone from him. Instead, he had to shake his head, “No, Mom, they took her straight out of the ambulance, and no one’s been able to tell us anything. I-its bad mom, r-really bad.”

“Oh Diego,” He could picture her clutching the phone, her face fallen even as every piece of her stayed bright and perfect, “I’ll need to tell your father of course, where did you say you were again?” 

He bolted upright, “No, mom, you can’t tell dad! V-Vanya wouldn’t want him here, and I d-didn’t call for th-that. Luther, Allison, and Klaus need to know. Y-You needed to know.” 

“Oh,” came her soft reply, “I have Allison’s current number, and I’ll let Luther know as soon as he comes back from his mission. But Diego, where are you? You know your father doesn’t like me to leave the mansion, but-” Her voice stopped abruptly, and he swore he heard her take a breath before she continued, her voice hardening, “But I want to be there. I want to be there for all of you.”   
He could barely breathe, as he pushed away the receiver to ask Dora to go pick his mom up, he couldn’t leave Vanya. Wouldn’t leave her ever again. But he trusted Dora with his life. He could trust her with his mom too. Trust her not to judge when she met the android who had raised them. The woman who looked young enough to be his sister and hadn’t aged a day since Dad had dropped her into their lives.   
He knew Vanya would need her as much as he did. 

After a brief exchange, he turned his attention back to the phone, “Mom, I’m sending Dora to come pick you up, okay? Do you think you can wait for her by the door?” Dad made sure she had no idea how to navigate the real world. Programmed her to be a perfect housewife, a perfect mother, but never allowed her to grow beyond that. But Grace had become so much more than her programming, and she loved them all in a way that only a person could. Still, he knew the type of people that lay in the world and he wouldn’t have anyone else in his family hurt while he waited. 

He finished the call, hanging up with a simple, “See you soon” 

Dora gave him a gentle kiss and squeezed his shoulders before she took the keys and left. He just hoped that she got to mom before Dad found her. He knew he’d never let her leave, and she needed to be here. Deserved to be here more than any of the rest of them. More than he did without a doubt. Grace had always had a special relationship with Vanya, something that burned him and made him spiteful and cruel, and that relationship had never dimmed. Instead had grown stronger after five left, and Ben died. He knew without a doubt that Grace still saw Vanya, and he wondered again at the distance between them all. 

He took a breath and forced himself to leave those thoughts for later. He had a mission now, and he needed to see it through.   
So, with only a moment’s hesitation, he picked his phone up and dialed a new number. Resisting the urge to get up and pace as it rung. He’d given up hope of anyone answering, when at last a familiar voice demanded, “Who the hell is this? How did you get this number?” 

“Hey Allison.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed! I'm bringing Grace into this because she's my favorite side character in the academy. And I think she deserves a chance to help her children heal away from their fathers side.   
> I also want to promise that next chapter you will get at least a small update on Vanya! It is still, and always will be, a Vanya centric story but its important to set the board appropriately to develop the story! Thank you for sticking around and feel free to leave any comments, suggestions or concerns in the comment section <3


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Turns out Vanya's not the only Hargreeves in the hospital, and Diego will have company far sooner than he expected. Just another day in the life of a Hargreeves

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovely readers, 
> 
> As ever, thank you for taking the time to read, to leave kudos and to comment! It truly means the world to me! It fuels me as a writer and keeps me smiling on bad days at work!  
> I hope you all enjoy this chapter! I'm introducing another hargreeves sibling or two, and I promise this chapter will see Vanya again for the first time since chapter one! It is crazy, I started this as Vanya-centric story and yet somehow I've written almost entirely in other peoples perspectives. I promise in later chapters the focus will shift more into her POV, but the other siblings and characters will continue to feature heavily!

Being dead was a rather strange state of being. 

In the years since he’d died Ben had spent a lot of time contemplating the “life” he’d chosen. At first, he’d simply been desperate to stay. To be with his siblings and to be a part of their lives even if he couldn’t speak to them. But being a ghost wasn’t all it was cut out to be, and sometimes he wondered if it would be better to just move on. Leave Klaus, and all his other siblings behind. Wondered if whatever lay beyond the light he still saw in his dreams, would be better than being trapped in an endless cycle of misery. Stuck watching as his brother tried to kill himself again, and again. As if he were eager to join Ben as a watcher. A permanent audience to the life that the rest of them got to experience. Be forever still as the world turned around them. Ben wondered if Klaus really had any idea how often he’d brushed hands with death. Or if he’d just gotten more and more desperate to escape the dead that haunted his every step. 

Desperate even to escape his brother. Even knowing that Ben had no one else to keep him afloat in this life. 

No one else to talk to or be seen by. 

He loved Klaus but he longed for his other siblings to the point of pain. He missed Allison’s confidence, the way her eyes lit up when she smiled, and her laughter, bright and bold against the darkness of their shared lives. He missed Vanya’s music and the way she always listened to him as if his every word were gold no matter what stupid thing he spoke of. Missed the way her eyes brightened when they noticed her, and how gently she handled them all. As if they were precious to her, no matter how often they hurt her. He even missed Diego and Luther, their gruffness often a mask for the feelings they hid so carefully. Five, he’d grown used to missing the brother who’d left them long before he’d died. He often wondered what happened to their dour sibling. Waited for him to appear in hazy blue. But he’d been waiting for years. 

He missed being touched, and hugged by them, missed laughing at jokes and sneaking out to get donuts. Missed being part of a team, even if his part on it filled him with heartbreak. He just missed them. Missed being seen by them. 

Of course, every once in a while, he did catch a glimpse of one of the others. In the beginning, they’d all still lived together, and he spent his days following them through the academy. Dogging their steps and listening to them as they moved about their lives without him. Talking to them as if they could hear him and spending more time than he’d ever admit listening to Vanya’s violin. But within a year his siblings had begun to disappear. To his surprise, Vanya left first, but he’d seen the acceptance letter clutched in her hands the day before she vanished. God, he wanted to follow her, before he died, they’d talked about it. Running away from it all. She always wanted to go to music school, and they’d found arts schools with music and literature programs. She would be a famous composer and he would be a writer. After, he hadn’t been sure if she would do it without him. But turns out Vanya had more strength in her than all the rest of them combined. Funny, because they all thought of her as the weak one, the helpless one. Even he hadn’t been above dismissing her as less than the rest of them. 

They’d all been so horrible. So lost in their own pain that they failed to see how it leaked out of everyone around them. Now, with all the time in the world to contemplate everything they’d been through. He saw how deeply all of them had been affected by their shared childhood.

Saw the scars and wounds cut so deeply into their hearts. 

Sometimes he wished to be ignorant again. Wished not to have to see how everyone around him bled their pain into the universe. Sadness and hurt dripping steadily onto everything they touched.

Allison had left them next, jetting off to LA to live her dreams, he still saw her in advertisements and smiling on movie posters. Her fame the only reason that he saw her at all. Even if he only saw her with a screen between them or her flat 2D counterpart. At least he saw her. He hadn’t set eyes on the others in over a year. Too busy chasing Klaus through alleyways and watching him destroy himself piece by piece. 

Then Diego had vanished in the middle of the night, and last Klaus or Ben had heard he’d joined the police academy. Diego always had to be a hero. Ben just hoped he managed to find some happiness amidst it all. 

Klaus had slunk in and out of the mansion for a few more years, before officially being kicked out shortly after their twenty first birthday. Dad had finally had enough of his escapades and demanded the lock be changed. Klaus had only had a few minutes to gather his meager belongs before the door shut behind him. With it, Luther had been lost to him too, still shuttered behind the thick walls of the academy. Ever hoping to live up to his designated number and still clinging to the hope that one day their father would love him.

Too bad their father didn’t have the capacity to love any of them. Ben had realized long ago how little they all meant to him. Possessions couldn’t be loved, not truly, and they had always been disappointments to their father. Unable to live up to the expectation he’d had for them all. 

The following years were a mix of rehabs, alley ways, halfway houses, dingy motel rooms, and endless, endless, amounts of drugs and alcohol. 

He wanted to leave more days than not. Wanted to escape the harsh reality of homelessness and addiction.

But something kept him here. 

Something made him stay, even when Klaus ignored him for days, even weeks, when his binges were bad enough. Unable to even see him through the haze of the drugs he poisoned himself with. Or worse, when he screamed at him for trying to help him and accused him of being just like Dad. Klaus knew those words cut him to the bone. His biggest fear had always been his father, and the sick psychology that meant children often became their parents. A fear that had made him sink into himself as a teen, and now sent him away to try to find another sibling to watch until Klaus called him back to apologize. 

Just a bad trip, he’d always say, and Ben always came crawling back. Because at the end of the day, he needed Klaus to stay sane, and Klaus needed him just as much. Even if he never admitted it. 

That tether had led him to this moment, sitting in a hospital room on one of those horrible hospital chairs -even death couldn’t make them more comfortable-, trying not to scream at his brother. He’d overdosed three days ago, and now he was in the midst of withdrawals. The nurses simply couldn’t provide enough Ativan to keep his brother from being a raging dick. They’d been arguing for well over an hour about whose fault it was that Klaus had gotten bad drugs. 

Finally, Ben surged up, “You know that’s not true Klaus, I just want to help you, I’ve only ever wanted to help you. I can’t be here right now,” He did his best not to scream at his brother, flicking his gaze to the window as he watched Klaus’s face drop, “I’ll be back.” 

He never left Klaus for long. Especially not in the hospital, he’d come back after Klaus got some more Ativan. Hopefully, it would calm him down a bit and they could talk. Or Ben could talk as Klaus slept or ignored him. 

“Wait,” Klaus shouted at his retreating back, “I wasn’t done talking to you!”

He ignored him, striding out of the room, and down the corridor. 

He made his way down the steps, descending until he saw the markings for the ER, slipping through the door and into the ER. The energy in the ER felt different than it had before, charged and tense, as if someone were preparing to drop a bomb atop them.  
“What’s going on?” He asked a passing nurse. She ignored him. Of course. 

He followed her anyway, as if she might answer him if he were patient enough, and she led him into one of the larger triage rooms. Over the years, Klaus and him had become very familiar with the lay out of the local hospitals, and so he knew these rooms were reserved for the worst cases coming in through the ER. Klaus had only landed in one of these rooms once. He’d pissed off the wrong dealer and Ben had to watch as Klaus had been beaten within an inch of his life. He never wanted to be so hopeless again.  
So, you can imagine his horror, when he moved through the curtain and saw who lay in the bed before him. Doctors and nurses buzzing around her like hornets. 

“Vanya?” He breathed as he took in the sight before him. She didn’t have any clothing on, a small towel the only covering she had, and it only covered her lower abdomen. But the rest of her lay bare as the medical staff rushed around her. Every inch of her appeared to be covered in bruises and cuts, “Has surgery been paged?” A doctor called to the room as he stormed in, forcing his eyes away from Vanya for a moment as he waited for someone to respond. 

The same nurse from the hallway, who appeared to be in the middle of hanging a second bag of blood, responded curtly, “Yes, they’re prepping the OR now, but we need to get her hemoglobin up before they take her down. We’ve applied pressure dressing to the stab wound and done the best to impede bleeding from her other injuries, but it’s likely there’s internal damage we aren’t aware of.” 

“What about her seizures?” 

“She’s been given Keppra, and appears stable for the moment, but the surgeon is aware of her earlier seizure. She’ll get a head CT before she goes to surgery, she’ll also be getting an abdominal CT before surgery, and an X-ray following. Police have also been notified and they’ll do a rape kit during surgery or directly after. We’ve been taking pictures of her injuries as we’re working, per protocol, and the OR staff have also been notified to catalogue any additional injuries.” 

He stalled out when he heard rape kit. Tuning out the rest of the words as he took a step closer, ignoring the queasy feeling of people walking through him, surveying his sister. One of her eyes looked swollen shut, the other rimmed with black closed as if she were asleep, but the wrinkle of her brows told him any sleep was far from comfortable. Her throat bore two black handprints, and blood leaked slowly from what looked to be cuts from someone dragging their nails across her neck. Her arms were littered with bruises, and her right arm had been secured with a cast, bruises disappearing beneath the plain cotton strips. He tried not to look at her breasts, but he saw the vicious bite marks dissecting her chest, and the dark purple bruises peppered down her rib cage. He knew from personal experience that at least a few of her ribs were broken, and as he finally reached the side of her bed, he could hear the harsh whistle of her breath. He wanted to hold her hand, to give her something to cling to, but even in this form he felt afraid to hurt her. 

His stomach churned as he watched. 

Minutes past, the blood bag emptying as the medical team continued to work, and then the doctor announced, “CT’s ready for her, then she’ll need to be taken directly to OR two, Dr. Martin is waiting.” 

With that they wheeled Vanya out of the room, and down the hall. He wanted to follow, but he needed to tell Klaus. He would find OR two after, Klaus needed to tell the others, they needed to know. 

They needed to protect her from whoever had done this to her. 

He raced back up the stairs, thankful that ghosts didn’t actually breathe, as he took six flights of stairs in seconds. He burst into the hall, and skidded into Klaus’s room, “Whoa there, cowboy, I know it’s hard to be away from me, but no need to dash in here,” Klaus chirped, a loopy smile on his face, the work of Ativan no doubt. 

“Klaus, this is serious,” He started, only to be interrupted, “Oh Ben, it always is, come-come, sit down and tell me everything.” 

“Klaus, I mean it,” he forced himself not to snap, Klaus didn’t know yet, “I went downstairs to the ER, and Vanya’s there. I don’t know what happened to her but she’s in bad shape. They-Klaus-They were talking about doing a rape kit on her, and they’re prepping her for surgery. She’s all alone down there.” 

For a second Klaus looked like he wanted to laugh, but as he’d continued, Klaus’s face steadily drained of color. By the time he finished, Klaus simply stood, swaying unsteadily as he reached for his IV and pulled it out, “Then we need to go,” All the humor had vanished from his face, and he seemed uncharacteristically serious, “Vanya needs us.” 

He didn’t seem to notice the blood leaking from his IV, or the alarm now sounding from his bed. His history of escapes had been well noted in his charts, and the nurses always put his bed alarm on as if that would stop him. As if summoned a nurse charged into the room, “Mr. Hargreeves, please get back into bed, you just got Ativan and you need to rest.” 

“Look, sweetheart, I’d love to stay and chit chat, but my sister’s downstairs and I’m afraid she needs me a bit more than you do,” His voice sounded flippant, but his eyes were hard as if he dared the nurse to stop him. 

She stared at him for a long moment, “How do you know she’s even here? There’s no phone in your room,” There may have been some notation of suicidal ideation in his charts, “And I know you haven’t had any visitors. You know we can’t just let you leave Mr. Hargreeves.” 

“Just go check, her name is Vanya, same last name, she’s down there and she needs me,” Klaus replied, glancing between Ben and the door, “Go, she needs someone with her, I’ll be down shortly.” 

As much as he longed to talk to people, he sometimes wished Klaus wouldn’t speak to him in front of strangers. He knew the nurse thought Klaus had lost his marbles, or that the Ativan hadn’t worked, and he’d started hallucinating. Still, he watched her grab her phone, and dial a number, asking to verify a patient’s information before he left. He knew she just wanted to be able to prove Klaus wrong so she could get him back into bed, but he knew she’d find out the truth. 

God, he hoped Klaus would join him soon, until then he had to find Vanya again. Klaus could hold his own. He wouldn’t back down now that he knew.

He made his way back downstairs, and followed the signs for the OR, it took him longer than he would have liked but he eventually found the second operating room, and he made his way inside. It didn’t look as if they’d brought Vanya in yet, so he settled down to wait, the phantom swirling of the horror in his chest the only thing keeping him company. 

“Everything will be okay,” He whispered to himself, “It has to be.” 

Of all the siblings he had, Vanya had been the last sibling he ever imagined in this kind of danger. He’d never worried about her appearing beside him wrapped in glowing blue with grotesque wounds where unmarred skin used to be. Now, the thought lingered, and he felt fear wrap around his heart. 

He waited, the bright lights of the OR blinding him, but doing nothing to still his thoughts or to stop the sudden feeling of breathlessness. He had not drawn breath in years, but he felt for the first time as if he were incapable of it. His heart no longer beat but somehow it pounded in his chest. Thrumming against his ribs like a stick against a drum. 

Still, he waited. 

Standing vigil like a lighthouse in the midst of a storm. 

He had no idea if Klaus had gotten out. If he had told the others or if he alone would be beside their sister if-no when she wheeled her way into the recovery room upstairs. But he did not allow himself to leave, to check, because she would be here soon.  
He would not allow her to be alone. 

Not like he had been. Alone in the end. Nothing but the writhing beast in his chest and his own screams of terror ringing in his ears as his own powers tore him to shreds. 

No, Vanya would have him by his side, even if she never knew it. 

The doors to the OR burst open, and a gurney wheeled in. He watched in horror as his sister, looking somehow even less alive than she had in the ER room, her body so still he had to get onto the gurney besides her to see her chest rise and fall. 

He hated when people passed through him. The feeling eerily similar to the eldritch monster ripping through his chest, but in this moment he didn’t care. He sat beside Vanya, letting his hand rest upon hers as he watched them cut into her abdomen, and shove tubes into her chest. He didn’t allow himself to move even as the monitors behind him began to beep erratically and the people around them went from a calm collective to a rush of panic. The voices rising as everyone moved at once, people grabbing carts, another pushing against her chest even as he heard bones creak, pads were attached to her, and new IV’s stuck in her veins as blood poured into her body. 

The monitor had been silent for far too long. 

Her chest still for what felt like an eternity.

He would not leave her side. Even as he waited to feel her next to him. Fear and terror alight in his gut as he kept his eyes upon her face still on the bed beneath him. Too afraid to look behind him and see her standing there.  
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
Diego had only just gotten off the phone with Allison, wishing, not for the first time, that five were still alive and could simply blink her from LA to NYC. The fear in her voice when he got out what had happened made his heart sink even further. He only told her about the physical assault. He hadn't been able to get out anything about the potential sexual component. Even he knew that needed to be a conversation they had in person. He prayed, to whatever Gods were out there, that his sister would not arrive too late.

His own mind had sunken further and further into despair the longer it took for word to come. It had been hours since he’d gotten here, and no one had been able to tell him anything other than that Vanya had been rushed to emergent surgery. Dora hadn’t arrived with Mom yet and he’d been left alone with nothing but his fear for company. 

Still, when he imagined company, nothing prepared him for the sight of Klaus bursting into the ER. Blood dripping from his arm, a black fur collared coat, leather pants and sparkly boots topped with a bright blue hospital gown. A nurse racing after him, paper in hands, screaming that he couldn’t leave until his signed them, with flourish his brother twirled to the nurse, “Miranda, darling, I pinky promise I’ll sign your silly papers as soon as I know where my sister is. I’ve told you this a thousand times it seems; must I keep repeating yourself?” 

Red flared across the woman’s face, “Mr. Hargreeves, my name is Linda not Miranda, for the fifth time, and I understand your worried about your sister. But it will only take a few seconds to sign and then I can go back upstairs to the rest of my patients.”

Even from behind, Diego could read the trouble brewing in his brother’s form, and for all their sakes he interjected, “Klaus?”

Linda entirely forgotten, Klaus turned, lasering in on him as a manic smile broke upon his face, “Diego, wild running into you here, isn’t it? Say, you wouldn’t happen to know where wee little Vanya is, would you?” 

“How did you even know she’s here?” Diego asked, looking at his brothers half crazed eyes, “Mom doesn’t even have your number.” And if mom didn’t have his number, none of the others did, making his appearance completely unexpected.

Klaus clapped his hands together, “Oh brother of mine, did you forget? You’re speaking to the séance? A little birdy told me that our sister dearest had found her way to the ER, and I simply had to see it for myself.” 

“Excuse me, I really must insist that you sign these papers,” Linda managed to wiggle her way into the space between then, shoving the papers at Klaus’s chest, “Be lucky I didn’t call security on you and strap you to your bed.” 

With a heavy sigh, Klaus ripped the papers from Linda’s hands, grabbed her pen and signed the papers, “Happy now?” He asked as he shoved them back into her hands, before returning his gaze to Diego’s, “Now, back to the matter at hand, where’s Vanya and what happened to her? And forget me, why are you here? I know for a fact you aren’t her emergency contact.” 

For a second anger flared in his chest, “Oh yeah? How do you know that?” 

“Because Vanya made me hers the same day I made her mine,” Klaus pronounced as if it were common knowledge, before gracelessly falling into the seat besides where he’d been only moments ago, “But that’s besides the point, tell me what happened now.” 

All at once, any anger vanished, replaced again with the hopeless sorrow he’d been warring with for hours, “Klaus-” 

The words dried up, and he felt them tangle in his mouth as he fell into the seat besides his brother, another failure rising up to sit atop his chest. His brother who he hadn’t bothered to try to find for a year, a brother he never spoke about because of his own shame. Another sibling he’d failed, how could he tell him about Vanya. How could he admit that he’d been out, stopping purse thieves and breaking up bar fights while their sister was being defiled. There sister who could be dying all alone in an operating room surrounded by strangers not even knowing how much he cared about her. Because he hadn’t even realized, how much he cared until he’d been holding her in his arms that morning. 

“Diego?” For once his brother sounded serious, and when Diego met his eyes, he saw the same worries and fears reflected back at him, “Please, just tell me.” 

He shook his head, “I-I-I’m trying,” 

Warm fingers, with a surprisingly firm grip grabbed his hand, “I’m no mom, but take a second and breathe, brother dearest, then I need you to tell me what’s going on.” 

Even the quip sounded hollow, but Diego forced himself to obey, breathing deeply before the words came pouring out. Though he stammered and stopped occasionally, he managed to get it all out. To tell his brother where he’d found Vanya, about carrying her home as she cried out in pain, even about the seizure and the horrible way her limbs shook in the ambulance. When he finished, he didn’t dare look at his brother, too afraid to see the recriminations. 

Klaus’s hand started to pull away, but he gripped it harder. He needed the connection. Needed to not feel alone for just a moment longer. 

“I-I know I failed her,” the words ripped from him, but he needed Klaus to understand, “B-but I-I-I won’t let her down again.” 

A sharp humorless laugh drew his eyes up, and he found not recrimination in his brothers eyes only sorrow, “Diego, you do understand what happened wasn’t your fault? You need to let that go if you truly want to help little Vanya, because she’ll only see it as something else to blame herself for.”

Diego didn’t understand, and Klaus must have read it on his face as he sighed before continuing, “Diego, you agree that Daddy dearest left us all with some…shall we say…heavy emotional baggage, yes? Well, he got his claws into tiny number seven as well. Blamed her for every inconvenience every failure, not only of her own but of ours. Reduced her to a mere shadow. If she sees your guilt, she won’t think you’re upset at yourself, no, she’ll think you’re upset with her.” 

He nodded, a new worry added to his ever-growing lists of concerns and another guilty reminder to echo through his mind. He expected Klaus to pull his hands away as they settled into an uneasy silence, both of them turning to stare at the doors before them, but instead their hands stayed clasped together. He thought he ought to remove his hand. Could even imagine the words his father would have to say if he found them here together, daring to touch each other. But for once he didn’t care. Until their mother arrived with Dora in tow, he would take and give comfort where he could. 

For once he would let himself be weak. 

For once he would not feel guilty about his weakness. 

They would need to be there for Vanya, and he knew he would give her any comfort she asked. Holding her hand or hugging her. He might as well get used to it now. Klaus had always been the touchiest of them all. The best to practice on, and a perfectly good excuse for allowing himself the meager comfort as well. 

Simply practice. 

After all, he may have grown used to casual touching with Dora, but none of his fellow academy members, besides Klaus, had ever been touchy. And their father made sure to encourage this, actively punishing Klaus for his constant need for affection. Praising the rest of them for being strong. As if the inability to be vulnerable truly meant they were strong.  
He’d be the first to admit that he’d believed that for years. Some part of him sickened by Klaus’s need for touch, and even at the way Vanya and Ben clung to each other during their rare private time. But Dora had opened his eyes and shown him that another way existed.

A better one than the one their father had shown them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the cliff-hanger, please don't kill me for it! I also promise, that per a comment, you will be seeing a bit of Luther next chapter! I find that though he can be a hard character, that I'm very invested in him and his development if he were able to break free of his fathers influence before the incident with Ape blood transfusion. So, I hope you guys will enjoy his addition to the story. Though it may be small to start, he, like the others, will end up with a much larger role to come!  
> As ever, please feel free to leave comments, kudos, or suggestions! I really love to hear from you all and the story isn't set in stone. So if there's something you'd like to see or a character you'd like to get more from let me know! I absolutely take your suggestions under consideration :)


	5. chapter five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our favorite Android makes an appearance, and we are once again reminded of just how shitty Reginald Hargreeves is! Space boy joins us, and to the surprise of absolutely no one, Diego and him can't help but fight.  
> Vanya's fighting too, but unlike the boys, she's fighting for her life. No siblings rivalries for her...yet!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys are honestly the best, your reviews are so kind and truly make my day every time I read them! Thank you for being such astounding inspirations, and thank you taking the time to not only write such lovely things but to leave kudos & views! I hope you all continue to enjoy this story! I made this chapter extra long as a thank you! It is a little angsty as a fair warning! Also, there may be some medical inaccuracies, because while I may be a nurse, I've never worked in an actual operating room. So I'm just winging those bits!

Grace often worried for her children, the worry growing as they left the safety she provided one by one, out into a world she knew nothing about. Not in the tangible sense at least. Rather like how she’d begun her life, programmed to be a mother but lacking a true understanding of what that meant. The functions of a mother were clear but it took meeting her children to begin to understand what made a real mother. For how could she have understood such a thing? 

Until she’d held Vanya for the first time, or brushed her fingers through Diego’s hair as he stuttered or clapped as Allison bowed after one of her many performances. Her children had helped her evolve past the code created for her, until it was riddled with loving malfunctions. Malfunctions that allowed her to ignore her children sneaking into each other’s rooms or the way Luther held Allison’s hand or when six went far past his allotted six minutes of shower time. Malfunctions that allowed her children to bond and to remember that they were children under all the training and routine.

Her children had allowed her to become human. In all the ways that mattered. 

Till it felt as if sometimes she could feel her heart beating in her chest and bursting with love for them. Or the breathlessness that filled her after some of their less savory training session or particularly bad missions. It didn’t matter that she had no heart to beat within her chest and no lungs to draw breath with.  
She still felt it. Another way that she evolved past her initial programming. 

She often wished to go to her children, to see them on the days when the house felt like an empty shell, and her existence seemed meaningless. But Dr. Hargreeves never allowed her to leave the house. Her heels had never clicked against pavement, her feet had never been tickled by grass and the wind only caressed her through the windows on the rare occasion they were opened. Her whole world lay within these walls, the windows and her paintings the only taste of other that existed. Sure, she knew something of the world beyond the academy’s walls, some of it programmed by Mr. Hargreeves, and other tidbits she’d absorbed through Pogo or the children. She spent years lingering at the window, and watching the news as her children were thrust into the world to save it. From what she never truly knew. She only knew that the world took her children and battered them. Returning them to her covered in blood and bruises, even on the missions where most returned with smiles there had been pain behind their eyes.

Though Reginald never allowed Vanya to accompany them, each mission injured her in ways it took Grace years to understand. Dr. Hargreeves, while great, had broken her children. Vanya, her very reason for existence, no exception, and though she tried to compensate for his casual cruelties. It could never be enough.  
The world, she learned was a cruel place, first it had stolen five from her. She still refused to serve pork roast even after all these years. As if its banishment might bring him back to her. As though it had been the food not his father that had chased him away from her arms. 

Then, in an even crueler blow, the terrible world beyond the windows had taken her Ben. The saddest and sweetest of her children. Taken him and left them with little more than a torn and bloody uniform to bury. She thought sometimes that she might be able to pick up the tattered threads that tied her children to her and trace their breaking points to that single moment. The loss of Ben the equivalent of throwing a hammer at a mirror. Breaking not only her children but their tenuous bonds to this house.

To her. 

Until one by one they disappeared. Only Luther remained, but she could tell the others absence hurt him as deeply as it hurt her. Each disappearance blowing him closer and closer to his father. Desperate for even an ounce of affection from a man that had none to give. Sometimes, though it killed her, she wished he would leave too. Leave her for the world, big and blue, only a few steps away. Leave and find his own happiness. Instead of lingering here in this house. His eyes growing wearier by the day, his shoulders slumped beneath the weight of expectations that were impossible to meet. For the world hurt, but she knew that it healed to. 

She just hoped her other children fared better. 

She worried about them constantly. Wondered if they were eating enough, if they had someone to tend their wounds and to keep them warm in the chill of the winter. Wondered if they still liked their eggs and bacon in the shape of a smiley face or if they ever craved warm milk and cookies in the middle of the night. 

But somehow none of her worries had ever conjured up something like this. The thought that her Vanya, her first child, had been hurt so badly made her chest hurt. She ran a diagnostic but could find no fault within her machinery. Nothing to cause her to feel this way. It made no sense. Emotions should not make her hurt. Not like this.  
She almost turned to find Pogo, to ask him what this meant, when she remembered that Pogo had left with Dr. Hargreeves, some business trip. They were scheduled to return at the end of the month. Though being away had not stopped Luther from being summoned on a mission the day before. 

She hoped he would be back soon. 

He would want to be here to help Vanya and his other siblings. Though they’d left him behind, she knew that he wished nothing more than to see them. To have some company  
besides her and Pogo, for Mr. Hargreeves hardly spared him a moment. His silent presence at dinner the closest Luther got to him aside from mission reports. 

The pain in her chest grew stronger. Her children, how she wished she could make all their pain disappear. She wanted them to smile and to be loved. 

She needed to get to the entrance hall, and so she let go of her thoughts. She had never been out of the house before, but she gathered her courage as she walked towards the door. Vanya needed her. Her children needed her. She would not be kept away from them any longer. Not by doors or walls or even the hard stare of her maker. She would tear them all down to be where she belonged. To do what she’d been built to do. 

No longer would she be content on the sidelines. Waiting for a phone call or the hesitant steps of one of her children sneaking in to see her. She simply wouldn’t allow the world to move on without her any longer. 

She may be an android, made of steel and wires, but she was a mother too. A mother who would be denied her children no longer.

Just as she reached the foyer, a voice called out from behind her, “Mom?”

Luther must have gone through the backdoor, “I’m in the foyer,” She called back a smile slipping onto her face as she heard his heavy steps coming towards her. 

“What are you doing out here?” He asked as he strode into the room with her, looking exactly as he had before he left except for a small cut on his cheek.

“I’m waiting for Dora, of course,” She replied, stepping closer to her son, “She’s coming to take me to the hospital to see Vanya.” 

Luther looked confused, “What’s wrong with Vanya? And who’s Dora?” 

Her smile faded as she looked at her son, “Vanya’s been attacked Luther, Diego’s already at the hospital with her, I know you just got back from a mission. But I think you need to come with me. Your siblings need you.” 

“What do you mean she’s been attacked?”

Grace found the words froze in her chest, and she stared at him for a long moment as she tried to think of a way to tell him what had happened to his sister. As a mother she’d dealt with her children being hurt before, and worse, but never something like this. She may not know the world, may not even be a woman of flesh and blood, but she knew that what had happened to Vanya went beyond physical injury. Luther, having never stepped out of his father’s safety or the sheltered existence of the academy, how would he be able to comprehend something like this? How could she ruin his innocent view of the world by revealing that the monsters he’d seen weren’t even the worst. 

“Mom?” Refocusing she watched as he drew closer, a warm hand reaching up to clasp onto her shoulder, “Mom, just tell me, please.” 

“Oh Luther,” her words quiet as she beheld his face, grown but still so young, “Vanya’s been hurt, badly, in ways I’m not sure any of us can understand. But I think she needs to be the one to tell you, she deserves to keep control of that much. All I can tell you is that she’s in surgery, and she needs you, needs us, to be there for her when she wakes up.” 

The lost, hurt, look in his eyes shattered what little hold she had left on herself, the pit in her stomach and the pain in her chest causing her to sink inwards, “Mom, it’s going to be okay, I’m sorry I shouldn’t have pushed you.” 

Luther, the golden boy, always made to apologize for asking more than Dr. Hargreeves wanted him to know or wanted to give. 

Forcing her shoulders to straighten, she let her cheeks lift, “Luther, never apologize for worrying about your siblings, it makes you a good man. I’m just worried for your sister and I don’t want to hurt her more by telling you things she might not want you to know.”

Luther grimaced but nodded, “I understand Mom, it won’t happen again.” 

As always, he managed to turn her words into a self-punishment, Dr. Hargreeves had taught all their children that skill. To take everything as a criticism, a critique of themselves. As if everyone around them found fault in their every action and as if their every want, need, or desire were something to be ashamed of. 

She wanted to tell him not to do that, to make him understand that he always made her proud and his worry for his sister warmed her. That a good man worried about the people he cared about. But before she could a crisp knock sounded at the door behind her, and her programming took over as she brought out her brightest smile and went to open the door. 

“Hello there, you must be Eudora,” Grace greeted the beautiful dark haired woman before her, stepping back to allow her in, “Diego’s told me so much about you, but it’s so nice to put a face to his stories. I so rarely get to meet the people in my children’s lives.” 

Rarely sounded so much better than never.

Eudora smiled as she walked into the foyer, “It’s a pleasure to meet you Mrs. Hargreeves, Diego’s spoken so highly of you, I’m happy to finally meet you. Even if I wish it were under better circumstances, and please, call me Dora. No one calls me Eudora unless I’m in deep shit.” 

Grace laughed effortlessly, as she glanced over to Luther, “Alright Dora, but only if you call me Grace.” 

“I think that can be arranged Grace, and you must be Luther,” Dora motioned to him, “It’s nice to meet you as well.” 

Grace couldn’t help but notice that Dora made no mention of Diego talking about Luther. Something Luther had picked up on as well if the hunch of his shoulders was any indication, “Yes, it’s nice to meet you too, I didn’t know Diego had people…” He trailed off glancing at the ground, before trying for a smile, “But I’m glad he does.” 

“Me too,” Grace chimed with a smile, “I just wish I’d had more time, whenever the children were sick I’d make them cookies and warm milk before bed. I know Vanya would feel better waking up with some waiting for her.” 

She allowed herself one forlorn look towards the kitchen. Some of her fondest memories were bringing the children warm cookies and milk, holding them close as she read them a story and tucking them into bed. The look on their little faces as she pressed a kiss to their forehead, and told them she loved them. It had been years since she’d been given the opportunity to hold any of her children like that, but she would sell every piece of machinery inside her to get the chance again. 

“I know Diego would love that, no cookie in the city compares to yours in his eyes, not even oreos,” Dora’s eyes twinkled as she said it, as if it were a grand secret, “And let me tell you, that’s saying something, because oreos are damn delicious.” 

Grace had no idea what an oreo was, but she’d take Dora’s word for it, “Well, maybe tonight after we get back from the hospital I can make a batch for when we go back in the morning.” 

“I could help mom,” straightening as he spoke, and Grace couldn’t help the burst of affection for her son. She’d never lacked for assistants in their childhood, but now Luther alone helped her, and he seemed to grow twice as big each time he had the opportunity. Blossoming beneath her kind words and the quiet moments they spent together. Only to be cut down the moment Dr. Hargreeves noticed his confidence growing. 

“I’d be happy to have all the help I can get,” Grace smiled at the pair of them, “Its been too long since I had to bake for so many people.” 

She didn’t know if the hospital let people stay with the patients overnight, Dr. Hargreeves never let anyone have company in the sick bay, affronted by the thought that any of the children would be weak enough to need comfort. 

But maybe hospitals were different. Either way, she would have to return to the house to charge, and maybe Diego and Dora might come with her. 

It would be so nice to have the house be full of life again. 

“Well, I’m sure Diego would be happy to help,” Dora told her, before gesturing to the door, “But I know he’s anxious to have you all with him, so maybe we can talk more about this on the way?” 

Luther nodded, already following Dora towards the door, “I’d like to find out how Vanya’s doing, and get updates on her progress. Mom, you coming?” He must have noticed that she hadn’t moved, her heels always made a gentle clack against the wooden floors even with the rugs laying in the foyer.

“Yes,” she breathed, forcing herself to walk towards Dora and Luther, and the wide open front door. She slowed, watching as Dora first, then Luther, stepped out the door as if it were nothing. Walking into the bright blue beyond it, and down the steps. She halted completely at the threshold, fear suddenly gripping her, what if something happened to her. Dr. Hargreeves had explicitly told her never to go outside. 

Never to step foot out of the academies walls. 

Had he done something to her? 

Wanting nothing more than to get to her daughter, to her son, to the rest of her family, but she just couldn’t make her feet move. Couldn’t do anything but stare, unseeing, out into the world she’d spent her life fantasizing about. 

“Grace?” A gentle voice reached her ears as a small calloused hand touched hers, “Grace, are you okay?” 

Trying to smile, she looked at Dora, standing on the first step below her, “I’ve never been outside, did you know that?” 

Dora nodded, something unreadable passing through her eyes, “I did, Diego told me about that, but it’s okay Grace, nothing will happen to you. Luther and I won’t let it, right Luther?” 

Suddenly her son appeared on the step beneath Dora, a large hand reaching for her, “You know I’ll keep you safe mom, nothing will happen to you on my watch. But we have to go, Vanya needs us, remember?” 

“I’m sorry,” She whispered, forcing herself not only to smile but to take Luther’s hand as she stepped out of the house, the door shutting behind her as she tried to adjust to the feel of concrete beneath her feet, “I don’t know what came over me.” 

“Nothing to worry about Grace, now let’s get in the car, Luther do you mind if she sits up front? Might be nice for her to be able to see everything as we drive.” 

Luther nodded, leading her towards the car she instantly recognized as Diego’s, and opening the door for her, “Go ahead mom, and make sure to buckle your seat belt.”  
She got into the car, marveling at the feel of the leather against her skin, cool and rough but somehow silky. She didn’t even notice the door shutting or Dora getting in, until she leaned over her, “Here let me get this for you.” 

Then fabric was being pulled across her chest, and with a resounding click the metal bar snapped into a small plastic holder on the side of her seat. For some reason it all made her feel giddy, her earlier fear replaced by excitement as her eyes darted first around the car and then out the window. Everything seemed brighter on this side of things, the colors more vibrant, the noises startling in their clarity, everything just seemed so alive. 

“Alright, here we go,” Dora’s voice brought her back to the moment as the engine roared and they took off down the street. She let out a little laugh at the exhilaration of the movement, and managed to tear her eyes away from the window for a moment to smile at Dora, who shot her a matching look, even if her eyes flashed with that mysterious emotion again, “We should be at the hospital in ten minutes, until then enjoy the view.” 

And she did. 

Even with all her processing power, it felt as if she didn’t even take in half the things they passed, eagerly looking at the world around her. She saw mothers with their babies, something that made her chest hurt even as it sent a genuine smile to her face, dogs of all sizes leading their owners around noses searching the air around them, cars of so many sizes and colors she couldn’t keep track, and buildings of all sizes and shapes. Never in her wildest imagination had she pictured the world being so loud, so colorful, and full of life in a way no artist could hope to captured. 

Maybe she could ask her children to take her out when Vanya recovered. 

Just to see them again and to spend time with them ought to be enough, but selfishly she wanted more. Wanted to make new memories with them all, wanted to meet the people in their lives, like Dora. She wanted so much to just be a part of their worlds again. 

She withdrew her hands from the window, and straightened up in her seat as they entered the hospital complex. A sharp reminder of the purpose of this trip, “Alright, we’re here,” Dora told her as she parked the car, and shut off the engine, “You ready?” 

Grace nodded, “Of course, thank you again for coming to get me, I don’t imagine what I would have done without you.” 

“It’s nothing,” Dora told her, her eyes dark with something like sadness, “You deserve to be here as much as anyone else.” 

That short circuited her brain, but before she could think of what to say, her door opened and Luther’s hand reached into the car, “Here mom, let me help you out.”  
Smiling, she grasped his hand and allowed him to pull her out of the car, “Such a perfect gentleman you are, thank you.” 

He preened, shoulders straightening as he shot her a small smile, pulling her hand into the crock of his elbow and set about escorting her into the hospital Dora at their side. She thought she was doing rather well, until the glass doors whooshed open before them startling a gasp from her lips. But no one else reacted to it, so she moved a little closer to Luther and tried to act normal. No need to worry anyone over such a silly thing. 

They approached a small desk, and Dora spoke to a rather paunchy old man, who didn’t even look up from his magazine, as he pointed them in the direction of the ER waiting room, “I’d been hoping Vanya might be out of surgery by now, but I guess not. At least we don’t have to worry about getting lost trying to find her room.” 

Grace had hoped for more news herself. Based on her own calculations, Vanya had been in the hospital for hours. Surely they should have some update on her condition by now. 

She tried not to let that worry her. 

Dora led them through a small corridor and into a large room, Grace scanned the room for Diego, and spotted him right away, “Diego,” She breathed, releasing Luther’s arm and hurrying towards him, “Klaus?” 

The sight of Klaus standing just behind Diego hastened her steps, both her sons turning to her in sync and suddenly her arms were full. Both her boys fitting perfectly within the safety of her embrace. She felt Diego’s shoulders quivering and she tightened her grip on him, careful not to hurt him as she tried to assure him that she wouldn’t let him go. 

Not until he was ready. 

He hadn’t allowed her to hold him like this in years. Too afraid to be seen as weak in her father’s eyes. How could she do anything but take advantage of this moment.  
Klaus on the other hand clung to her like he always did, thin arms like a vice around her middle, his too thin body pressed almost entirely against her side. She pressed a kiss to his forehead, “Oh my beautiful boys, I’m so happy to see you here, Klaus no one told me you’d be here. But I’m so glad you are.” 

Slowly, Diego drew away clearing his throat and swiping at his eyes awkwardly, he glanced up and froze as he noticed Luther coming up with Dora, “Did you bring him?” 

Grace turned, careful to keep Klaus tight in her grip, “Of course we did, darling, Luther got home from his mission just before Dora arrived. He wanted to come and be with us all to support Vanya.” 

“Yeah, I came as soon as mom told me Vanya ended up in the hospital, do you know what happened to her?” Grace watched Diego carefully, wondering what he would reveal to his brother, if he would tell him the things that she had been unwilling to. 

Klaus pulled away, looking at them all with a delirious grin, “While I’m sure our lovely audience is enjoying our touching reunion, might I suggest that we take our seats and try to finish this conversation privately?” 

With a flourish he gestured towards a group of chairs that were directly across from a set of wide double doors, “Here mom, let me escort you over there while the Neanderthals I call brothers, finish their little staring contest, and you must be Dora, might I escort you as well?”

Grace smiled as Dora took the offered arm with a small smile of her own, “Why yes, that would be lovely, please lead the way.” 

She only just kept herself from laughing at the looks on the boys faces, somewhere between constipation, irritation and utter confusion. Her boys did love to argue with each other, but she hoped that they would be able to put aside their own feelings to help their sister. But she knew better than to hope for such a thing. Thanks to Dr. Hargreeves, all her children competed viciously with each other, but none more than Diego and Luther. Their rivalry turning dark and bitter as they grew older and their father’s nepotism reared its ugly head more and more. 

With a small twirl, Klaus released her hand and helped her into a seat in the middle of the semi-circle of chairs, placing Dora to her left, and settling into the seat on her right. The three of them exchanged some idle chit chat as they waited for the boys to join them. 

After a few minutes, they did, but Grace could tell their conversation hadn’t gone well. Luther looked drawn, his mouth set in a tight line, and his eyes dark with fury and worry. Diego didn’t look any better, his spine straight and his shoulders tight as he stormed towards them. 

“I don’t understand why you won’t even think about the possibility,” Luther demanded as he reached them, “We’ve always had enemies and if one of them found out about Vanya-”

Diego snarled as he turned to face Luther, mere feet from their seats, “Because we haven’t been a part of the academy in nearly six years, no one gives a shit anymore. The Umbrella academy hasn’t mattered in years, and the only enemies we have that are capable of doing something so terrible currently reside on the moon courtesy of dad. So unless you think they’ve found a way to get back to earth without anyone noticing, I doubt they’re responsible.” 

She didn’t think she’d ever heard Diego say so much to any of his siblings. Not one trace of the stutter he’d work so hard to eliminate. 

Though she wished they wouldn’t fight each other, she couldn’t help the pride she felt at how much her dearest Diego had grown. In the worst days of his childhood, despite the confidence she projected, she’d worried he would never outgrow his stutter. 

“Dad has other enemies, and there are plenty of people out there who would seek to hurt him. We all know Vanya doesn’t have any training or any abilities, if someone found out about her they’d know she’s an easy target. I just think it’s a possibility we can’t ignore.” Luther, never one to back down from a fight, had drawn up to his full height, towering over Diego, “The only thing you’ve even told me is that she was attacked, without any details I just don’t get why you won’t even consider the possibility.”  
Diego just shook his head, turning away from Luther to take a seat besides Dora, “Because Luther, unlike you I know the world doesn’t r-revolve-e around D-Dad, or the A-academy,” his ears turned red as he stuttered over his last few words, but he continued despite it, “Sometimes t-terr-r-ible thing-s-s happen to p-people for no reason. B-Bad people don’t need a reason-n.” 

“Just because I cared enough about dad and our mission to stay, doesn’t mean I don’t know how the world works, Diego,” Luther glowered as he took a seat besides Klaus, “But I just don’t think it could be a coincidence, Dad’s away on a classified trip for the government, and suddenly Vanya gets attacked?”

Despite her faith in her son, and his own statements to the contrary, Grace knew Luther really had no idea about the world they all lived in. His father had tailored every bit of information Luther had access to so that his golden boy saw the world exactly as he did. All black and white, with no room for shades of grey and the believe that people were either good or evil. That their motivations were simple and easy to understand, when in reality, people were complex creatures. Capable of both good and evil, and so many shades between. Creatures who often didn’t understand what motivated them to do the things they did and often did things purely because they could.  
Grace wrapped her arm a little tighter around Klaus, at some point he’d begun to tremble in her arms, and watched as her boys continued to argue. Unaware or uncaring of the way that other people in the waiting room had withdrawn from the seats around them until they were surrounded by empty chairs. The volume of the boy’s argument continuing to escalate, neither of them wanting to back down. 

At some point, Dora stood, moving between the boys as she attempted to calm them down. But she only ended up embroiled in the argument as the boys both tried to get her to agree with them. 

“You’re both being ridiculous, you’re sisters fighting for life and you two are arguing like a children in the school yard,” Dora’s eyes were blazing as she stared between them, “You ought to be ashamed of yourselves. Honestly, both of you are grown ass men, start acting like it.” 

Unfortunately, instead of inspiring the boys to stop, it only turned the argument onto Dora as both of them tried to get her to “see reason” and convince the other to let go of their foolish argument. At this rate they’d all be kicked out of the waiting room. Grace thought about grabbing Klaus and putting some distance between them all, she loved them all, but she wouldn’t allow them to jeopardize her ability to see Vanya. And with the way they were currently behaving, she couldn’t be sure they would provide Vanya any comfort. 

Sometimes she just wanted to shake them and make them see sense. 

“Vanya?” Her gaze turned away from the trio before her, and back to Klaus as his trembling turned into full blown shakes as he stared at the empty space between them and the others, “Vanya, is that you?” 

At first, confusion coursed through her as she turned towards Klaus and attempted to draw him further into her arms as she searched desperately for her daughter. But then ice flooded her body as though she’d been plunged into glacial water, her beautiful boy had been tormented by spirits for years. If he could see Vanya that only meant one thing. 

“No-” She whispered, staring at her son, terror making a home in her heart as she watched tears begin to stream down his face. 

“No, Vanya, please, you have to go back,” Klaus begged, sliding out of his seat and onto his knees before the empty air, “Please go back, I’ll do anything, please you have to go back. I can’t bare it, Ben’s too much, but if you haunt me too-”

His words broke off as he began to sob in earnest, Diego, Luther and Dora now standing stock still as they took in the scene before them. Even Grace felt frozen, her arms still outstretched towards her son as she watched him fall apart before them. 

Klaus seemed to fall into himself, his arms clutching his sides so tight she could see his fingertips turning white, his eyes wild as he continued to stare, “Yes, Vanya, I see you, please you have to listen to me. You can tell me everything when you wake up, yes, go back, I love you so much. Please don’t do this to me, please, please, please, Ben’s there with you.” 

At this point she could hardly understand him, his voice so clogged with tears and desperation as he begged his sister to stay with them in the land of the living. 

“K-Kla-a-aus?” Diego stepped forward, skirting around the space Klaus stared at, and coming to rest an arm on his shoulder, “Wh-hat's go-i-ing on?"

Klaus shook his brother off, “Don’t touch me,” He begged, turning back to the space before him, “Vanya, please, it’s going to be okay. Just go back, please go back.” 

Grace had never prayed before. Never felt the need or the desire to. But watching her son talk to her daughter, her daughter who might very well be dead or dying somewhere in this hospital all alone. She found herself praying for the first time in her existence. Praying to whatever god or gods existed that they might spare her daughter, spare her the family the pain of losing another sibling, another daughter. Prayed that she would be able to hold her baby girl in her arms again, and feel her warmth, listen to the steady strum of her heart and the delicate pattern of her breathing. 

Please. Please. 

She prayed in sync with her sons desperate cries, and the harsh breaths of the rest. All of them frozen in horror but helpless to do anything but watch as Klaus fought for his sister.  
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Ben watched as they continued to work on Vanya, pumping against her chest as they shoved a tube down her throat and forced air into her lungs. He wanted to scream at them, to make them work harder, to make them fix her. But he stayed silent, unwilling to distract them for even a second, even though logically he knew he could scream all day long and not one of them would hear him. 

He would do anything to get her breathing again. Anything to restore life to her again. 

God, please, he begged, please bring her back to us. 

He hovered besides Vanya’s head, hands clutched at his side, though he desperately wanted to wrap them around her. But knowing that they would slip through her hurt even more than the desire to touch her. So he kept them beside him, watching, for what felt like hours as the medical staff buzzed around her. 

“Push a mg of epi, and then let’s get a pulse check,” He watched one of the nurses pushing the epi into her IV, and then the nurse currently doing compression stepped away as the doctor felt for a pulse. He shook his head, but before he could command them to restart compressions a mechanical voice rang out, “Shock advised.” 

“Stand clear,” The nurse who had been doing compression demanded, and then he pushed a button on the small machine hooked up to Vanya via two pads on her chest. Terror gripped his heart as Vanya convulsed on the table, once and then twice as they pushed the button again. 

Her whole body came off the table, and held there for what felt like forever. 

Then she fell against the table again, still, but for the faintest rise of her chest. The monitor behind them began to beep again, and when he looked he saw something that made his knees give out. Her heart was beating again, not steadily as it should, but anything was better than nothing. Apparently the staff agreed, all of them racing around, hooking up more blood, resuming the surgery, and pushing more drugs and monitoring her carefully. 

“You did it,” He whispered, kneeling beside her now, unwilling to get up again, “Keep pushing Vanya. They need you here, I know it’s never seemed like it, but all of us need you. If you die, everything will fall apart.”

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Suddenly Klaus toppled forward, his head touching the ground as he bent over his knees, “Thank god,” he whispered, his shoulders shaking, “Thank God.” 

She fell to her knees beside him, her skirt falling around her, as she pulled her son into her arms, “Klaus, please what did you see?” 

“She’s gone mom.”

“What do you mean?” She couldn’t keep the terror out of her voice, “Klaus, what do you means she’s gone?” 

His tear streaked face swam into view, a smile pulling across his cheeks even as tears continued to cut lines down them, “No, mom, you don’t understand. She’s gone, she’s not dead, they must have brought her back somehow.” 

“How can you be sure?” Klaus turned towards Luther, though he seemed to collapse further into her arms, “I saw it, she was flickering, as if something was keeping her tethered to life, and then suddenly she disappeared. Ghosts never disappear. I’ve only seen it happen like that before once, after my roommate at the rehab OD’ed. He did the same thing when the nurse gave him Narcan.” 

“Please, I don’t think Klaus is in a place for more questions,” Grace told her children firmly when both Luther and Diego opened their mouths to say more, “Vanya’s alive, do we really need to know more than that? Now help me get your brother back into his seat.” 

Luther and Diego rushed to help her stand, she could have easily lifted Klaus herself, but her boys liked to be useful. So she gave them the task so that they would feel needed.  
After they were back in their seats, Klaus practically in her lap he sat so close, she allowed herself a moment to take in everything that had just happened. Terror still wrapped around her like a vice, at the mere thought of her daughter dying. 

She would break down every door between here and wherever Vanya was if it meant getting to hold her again. She wondered if they might need her skill. She’d been programmed to be a top surgeon, doctor and nurse. Maybe they needed her help. 

But she knew they would never allow her in an operating room. She had no certificates or degrees, just programming. By the time she proved anything it would be long over.  
All she could do is hope that the shade of her daughter never reappeared. 

Hope that soon they would be reunited. 

Until then, she would keep her family together and safe. She reached for Diego with one hand, her other rubbing Klaus’s back, and she gave him her best smile as she squeezed his hand, “It’s going to be okay,” She assured her children, including Dora who was now a part of her family as far as she was concerned, “We just have to stay strong for Vanya.” 

And they would.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay don't hate me, I had to give us a little séance drama just to keep the blood pumping! But I hope you're happy to know that Vanya is alive! I promise within a few chapter's we will be seeing her conscious again! It may get a bit angsty over the course of the next five-ten chapters, but I swear there will be light hearted pieces and we will work towards some full on sunshine!  
> I do have a question for you all, in regards to Allison, I've been thinking about introducing her in the next chapter. Would you guys enjoy that or would you like Allison to feature a little bit later after Vanya has regained consciousness? Let me know!  
> Also do be aware that Reginald will be making an appearance within the next five chapters and prepare yourself for the level of douche-baggery and general nastiness he will be bringing along with him! Also prepare for some surprisingly fun reactions from our favorite band of misfits!


	6. Chapter 6 part One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, as always, I want to give a huge thank you to all of you wonderful people for your kudos and your reviews. They mean the world to me, and really keep me going on the days where inspiration is hard to find!  
> Secondly, I do want to apologize for having to split this chapter in two, but it was almost 10k. As much as I know everyone loves a long chapter that just seemed a little excessive. But I promise I'll be putting out part two Sunday morning!  
> And as always I hope you enjoy this little update!

Before 

0400 Los Angeles, California Santa Monica 

Allison’s alarm had gone off half an hour ago, and if she didn’t get up soon, she’d be late to set. Sweat beaded against her brow at the mere thought of being late. Tardiness wasn’t tolerated in her world. She learned long ago what happened to girls who were late. Even now, years after she boarded a flight never to return, the fear of her father refused to leave her. 

She hated that he still had so much over her. 

If he knew…she could picture the tiny little smile that would stretch across his lips. He loved the power he had over them.  
Loved their fear and their obedience. 

“Where’d you go beautiful?” Patrick’s voice, husky with desire, whispered in her ear as he pressed warm open mouth kisses to her neck, “What will it take to keep your attention?”  
Heat pooled in her chest, though they’d spent the time since her first alarm went off suitably occupied, the sticky remains of their activities still stuck to her thighs. But god she wanted him. Couldn’t imagine a world where she wouldn’t, “You’re the perfect distraction, but you know I have to get up soon. I can’t be late.” 

She let herself sink into his arms despite herself and relished the warmth of his body beneath hers. Somehow, he made her feel safe in a way she never allowed herself to feel before. It felt dangerous, and she’d be lying if she said that wasn’t part of the thrill, “Join me in the shower?”

She laughed, breathlessly, as Patrick shoved the blankets off them and picked her up. Carrying her into the bathroom as if she weighed nothing. Sometimes it felt as if her heart might burst around him. In only a few months he managed to make himself irreplaceable to her. 

She wouldn’t allow him to leave her. 

She liked herself so much better with him around. She could almost be herself, because he loved her even without a rumor to nudge him in the right direction. 

Twenty minutes later, she let him dry her off, sealing their morning with a final kiss as she dashed around to finish getting ready. Her driver had called as soon as her foot hit the bathroom tile to let her know he’d be pulling up in five minutes or less. 

The dampness of her skin made her clothes stick to her form, and she preened as Patrick’s eyes swept over her shape darkening as they took her in, “Try not to find yourself a replacement model,” He told her just a hair too seriously, “You’re going to be beating off every person on the set today in that outfit.” 

“Please,” She whispered, bringing a hand to his cheek as she pressed a firm kiss to his lips, “None of them could ever replace you. And you know they’ll put me in a thousand different outfits before the days over. Now, Greg’s waiting for me out front, so I must go, but call me later. I’m thinking lunch at the Casa Vega?” 

They’d had their first real date there and from the smile that pulled at his lips, he remembered, “Alright, I’ll call at one, don’t let them hold you hostage through lunch again.” As if, no one ever did anything she didn’t want them to, not anymore. Her father put restrictions on her powers, forbade her from using them on the people in her life who controlled her. But she removed those restrictions, and now if she wanted to take an hour for lunch, she did. No one would tell her otherwise, not anymore, now she controlled everything.  
She tried her best to be careful though, to ration out her moments well, because she didn’t want people to begin to suspect just how much she used her powers. How much she had used them in the beginning, securing herself auditions, then lead roles in productions she might otherwise have been a background character in. How carefully she had orchestrated every role and every friendship until she built an entire life to shield herself. 

After the first year or two though the offers began to roll in on their own, her talent and work ethic doing things that even her name and her powers could not. 

It was all a balancing act really and she couldn’t afford to tip the scales too far in either direction. But one long lunch wouldn’t hurt anyone, and she would make sure everyone got to enjoy it. People tended not to ask questions when they benefited from her manipulations. 

With one last kiss she bolted out the door, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, and shouting a greeting to the bellman as she rushed outside to her vehicle. Greg already had the door open for her, and she slid in without breaking pace, ignoring the flashing lights and shouted comments of the pap’s waiting for her. If it weren’t for the fear of being caught on camera using her abilities on them, she would have rumored every single one of the parasites to walk off a cliff. But she knew better. 

Dad made her rumor people until her throat became so dry it felt as if shards of glass tore through her with every word. Then he made her keep going until blood started to lubricate her throat and she’d been unable to utter a word for a week. All of it because she’d got caught on camera rumoring an interviewer to leave Diego alone when he stuttered so badly, they’d all been cringing. 

After that she stopped having sympathy for his stutter and started to resent his weakness. Resent that she stuck her neck out for him and hadn’t even gotten a thank you. She never bothered helping her siblings again.

Except for Luther, and even for him, she only did the minimum. 

As the car pulled away from the sidewalk, entering the flow of LA early morning traffic with ease, her phone rang. Thinking it might be Patrick, she grabbed it out of her bag, but paused when an unfamiliar number flashed across the screen. She hesitated, the last time an unknown number called her personal phone she’d been stalked for months, but in the end she answered. 

She refused to let one asshole make her afraid again. 

“Who the hell is this and how did you get this number,” She let her frustration and anger turn her words into knifes, hoping, that whoever the fuck it was would just hang up when they realized she had zero intentions of playing nice. 

“Hey Allison,” She dropped the phone, her heart racing, and then fell to her knees as she scrambled to pick it back up, “Diego?” She whispered, almost unable to speak, “Is that really you?”

A familiar snort echoed through the line, “Yeah, is it a bad time?”

“No, no,” Her voice almost frantic, she spent the last few years doing everything in her power to remove every trace of the academy from her memory, but now the sound of her brothers voice had her desperate for more, “I’m just not used to getting calls from unknown numbers on my personal cell. Too many crazies these days.” 

“Yeah, I heard about that on the news,” He paused, and her heart practically shot into her throat, “You okay?”

She nodded, “Yeah, he’s in prison now and my team had my number changed and removed from all the public databases. But something tells me that’s not why you called,” After all, if it were, he was a little late, “Did something happen?” 

There was another long pause, dread pitted in her stomach, had something happened to Luther? As far as she knew he remained at the academy running missions all alone as if he still had five people at his back. 

Or even worse, had Klaus, her old dress up buddy and hairstyle guru, finally succumbed to the addiction that had plagued him since their childhood. The part of herself that she hated most dreaded that answer more than anything. The publicity that would come if Klaus died of an overdose would be terrible. She had only just gotten the starring role in a franchise series with Warner Brothers. Her career, while able to weather such a thing, would be on the rocks. 

“Is it Luther?” Her voice came out steady, despite the dread and humiliation at war in her gut, “Or Klaus?” 

“I-I-No,” He stopped, and she could hear him taking a deep breath before he started again, irritation flaring in her gut at the hesitation, “No-o, they’re fine, its Vanya-”

She couldn’t stop the scoff that escaped her, “Really? Vanya? What did she do? Fall and break her wrist? Honestly, I can’t believe you’re calling me about her, what could have possibly happened to her?” 

Vanya, not her least favorite sibling, but only because she’d basically been a non-entity in their childhood. A specter lurking around in every corner, playing mournful songs on her violin, and watching them. Always watching them, her face utterly expressionless. Honestly, she could have taught some of the actors out here about how to look like a little psychopath. 

Vanya who always acted like she could be a part of the academy despite her complete and utter lack of abilities. Vanya who she used to try to play with until she realized just how boring the girl was. Not an ounce of emotion or anything worth paying attention to within her. 

Allison couldn’t let herself be brought down by someone like that. Not when she had all the intentions of shining brighter than a star. 

“Allison,” Diego’s voice came hard over the phone, and she felt herself sit up instinctually, “Vanya’s been attacked, and y-you’re making j-jokes-s. Guess Hollywood hasn’t ch-ch-changed you at all.” 

Her hackles raised, but her brain caught her before she reacted, “What do you mean she’s been attacked? Why would anyone attack Vanya?” 

“I don’t know,” And then her world shattered to pieces as Diego told her exactly how he’d found their sister. Tiny, powerless, helpless little Vanya in an alley bloody, and beaten. At some point she simply stopped processing what he said. 

A loop of little Vanya, with that flat smile on her face and her desperate attempts to fit in, now running on a loop with her own grotesque imaginings of her face, still desperate for them to notice her but now her pale skin darkened with bruises, blood turning her white button up red, and her limps shaking with a seizure even as her arms seemed to reach for them. 

“Allison,” His voice brought her back to the present, “I’m here,” Somehow she managed to respond, “I’ll come as soon as I can. I’m supposed to film today, but I’ll see if the director can give me sometime off.” 

There were plenty of scenes to film without her in them, and she would persuade him to film them all over the next week or so. She’d tell Patrick over lunch, maybe he’d even come with her? She couldn’t drop everything for her family. Refused to allow herself to. But with the day to get everything together, she could put things on hold for a little bit, just to make sure they were okay. 

Present. NYC, NYU Hospital 

Klaus couldn’t seem to take his eyes off the space before him. It had been hours since Vanya appeared before him, her shape hewn in blue, and her body cut open and naked before him. He could still see the bruises ringing her neck, the bites and the scratches decorating her delicate body, and the surgical incision dissecting her abdomen dark and bloody.

The memory of it still brought the taste of iron and copper to his tongue. Heavy and caustic despite the fact that he knew she hadn’t bled before him. Not really.

Ghost couldn’t bleed after all. 

He couldn’t tell his mind that. Couldn’t convince himself that if he looked at the floor beneath where she’d stood he wouldn’t see thick globs of blood drying against the stale white linoleum tiles. Wasn’t even convinced he couldn’t feel it, crusting and flaking, on his face where Vanya had pressed her hand right before she disappeared again. 

God. 

He just couldn’t make himself stop picturing it all. Stop tasting it and smelling it and reliving it over and over and over again. 

His baby sister. 

He needed to touch her. Needed to reassure himself that he could feel her pulse beating steadily on her wrist. That her skin would be warm, not cold, to the touch. He just needed proof that she hadn’t left to go to the afterlife. Proof that she hadn’t made the decision Ben had never been able to. He wouldn’t blame her if she had.  
But surely if that were the case someone would have come to talk to them. Some grim doctor pushing through the doors to let them know that they’d been unable to save her. A conversation they probably had all too often in this place. But one he prayed he’d never have to be a part of. 

He tried to ground himself within Moms arms, but he couldn’t get himself to settle. His mind racing as his hands trembled and his knees shook.

The fact his Ativan had started to wear off an hour or so ago, and the sweats were starting, didn’t help. But he ignored the ghosts that moved around him. None of them had noticed him yet, and he made a point not to look at them. 

Though sometimes he had a hard time telling if someone was alive or dead from a distance. So, he tried not to look at anyone but his family, and Dora. He liked Dora, her hand had found his right after Vanya disappeared and somehow it had stayed there. 

Warm and reassuring. 

A teether to reality. She hadn’t looked at him with fear or revulsion after his breakdown. Merely sat down beside him again, gripping his fingers tight, and giving him a soft smile as he huddled in his mothers grasp like a child. No judgement or disgust in her eyes. 

He hadn’t dared to look at his brothers, even after they started to question him, he merely tucked his head into his mother’s neck and answered their questions as best as he could. Tears clogged his throat, and after a few minutes his mother stopped them, “Your brother has said enough for now. Be glad that your sister is alive and sit down. I think the two of you have said enough, or do I need to remind you that you were arguing while your sister died.” 

She hadn’t raised her voice, never needed to, but both fell silent, sitting down without another word. He didn’t need to look up to picture the shame coloring both of their faces. They all hated being chastised by their father, but if Mom said something it made all of them wince. 

But he could only feel grateful to her for the intervention. He never liked talking about his powers, liked it even less when his family were the ones doing the questions, they never believed him when it mattered. So why should he have to talk about it now? 

He let himself cry a little more, as her soft fingers wove through his hair, and she hummed a song he distantly remembered from their youth, “I’m so sorry you had to see her,” She murmured to him, “But we have you now. I won’t let anything happen to either of you.” 

To his surprise, Dora had chimed in, “I know we only just met, Klaus, but I’m here for you,” With a pointed look at Diego sitting beside her, “He is too, but you know he’s got the emotional range of a teaspoon.” 

For some reason that brought the ghost of a smile to his brothers face, and even through the horror of what had happened, it brought a small smile to his own lips. Happiness looked good on his brother; he didn’t miss that Dora’s other hand rested firmly in Diego’s either. 

After that, they’d all sat in silence, waiting for news. Occasionally Luther or Diego would get up to pace, taking turns sitting beside Dora and Mom. Small conversations erupting between them all as they moved, at some point Luther and Diego went to the cafeteria together, shoulders tight, to get them all some snacks and drinks. Dora went to the bathroom, offering to take Klaus with her, but he refused. He simply couldn’t get up. Couldn’t leave in case Vanya returned. What would she do if she came back and he wasn’t there? 

The thought of her alone hurt almost as badly as the thought of her dead in the first place. 

He knew, after all, how the loneliness felt, the way that it sunk into your soul and never let go. Had seen Ben’s face on the days when Klaus sent him away, unable to help his selfish need for drugs or the vicious things they made him say to his oldest companion. 

Time past. 

He felt the glances in his direction increase as every hour ticked by. He knew they were all waiting for him to see her again, waiting for him to tell them that once again their sister had left the mortal plane and joined the ghastly land of the dead. 

This time for good.

Every look sent sweat to his brow, his pulse hammering away, and his breath coming just a little quicker. He wanted to shout at them. To tell them not to look at him, to ask them why they had never believed him before, but now they couldn’t look away from him.

But he stayed silent. 

The tears had stopped sometime ago, but they came back intermittently. His mother’s blouse stained and wet beneath him, his eye liner and mascara having ravaged the pure white of the linen shirt. She hadn’t noticed. Or if she had she simply didn’t care because her arms never once left him. Occasionally, she lifted his cheek up to inspect him, before gently bringing his head back down to her shoulder. 

It all seemed so hopeless. 

Then all at once, the doors before them burst open, and a tall doctor came through, “Vanya Hargreeves? I’m looking for the family of Vanya Hargreeves.” 

All of them stood at once and chaos erupted. 

“H-How is s-h-h-e?” 

“What happened to her?” 

“Is she okay?”

“Can we see her?” 

Even he couldn’t stop himself from whispering, “Where is she?”

The Doctor seemed to take a step back, clearly, he hadn’t expected so many people, but then his shoulders straightened, and his arms came up, “Please, I’ll tell you everything, but I need you all to let me speak.” 

As if on cue they went silent. 

“Are any of you Klaus Hargreeves? That’s who we have down as her emergency contact.”

He made himself move out of his mother’s arms, though he kept his hand firmly in Dora’s, he had to stay grounded. Had to stay present in the moment. Couldn’t allow himself to shift away from the ghosts that trailed the doctor into the waiting room, “That would be me, good sir.” 

The doctor took him in, he knew what the man saw, the skinniness, the make up cutting trails down his cheeks, the hospital gown he still wore under his black coat, but amazingly the doctor didn’t seem to care. Just nodded, “Good, well if you give me permission to speak to everyone here, we can get started. If not, I can take you down the hall and discuss things with you privately.” 

“Hey, we-r-re her family too,” Diego practically shouted at the same time as Luther cut in, “We have a right to know what’s going on with her.” 

“Boys,” Grace brought them to attention once more, “Let your brother speak.”

He took that as his cue, trying to ignore the red-hot glares of both his brothers, “I think Vanya would want us all to know, please, tell us what’s going on.” He felt his mothers arm wrap around his shoulder, and Dora squeezed his hand as the doctor began to speak. 

“Well, first, your sister made it through surgery. We did lose her on the table, but we were able to bring her back. She suffered significant injury to her abdomen and her chest during her attack, as a result she broke a few ribs on each side, one of which punctured her right lung. We were able to put a chest tube in, but by that point she had lost a lot of blood internally, her liver had sustained significant damage in the attack, and she was hemorrhaging from there and a few other areas. We think the blood loss is what almost killed her. But I was able to suture up the bleeds and repair the damage we found.”

He stopped for a moment, and Klaus thought he might be done, but then he began again, “Unfortunately, that’s not the end of your sister’s problems, during her attack she also sustained a few blows to the head, during surgery her ICP, intercranial pressure, started to rise as the result of a small bleed in her brain. I had to place a shunt there to help drain the blood. Hopefully, this will help prevent further swelling, and seizures. She also broke her right arm, a few fingers, and her knee was dislocated. The arm will need surgery at some point, but for now we placed it in a cast. If she does well our orthopedic surgeon will consult to do the surgery before she’s discharged. Her fingers won’t require any surgery but they’re also splinted. The knee just needed to be put back into place and has a brace on it currently,” His eyes seemed to darken, and he looked away before continuing, “You know, I’m sure, that your sister was sexually assaulted. She sustained some internal damage as a direct result of that, and it did require some stitching. The police will be able to give you more details on that once we send them all that information. Currently, your sisters being taken to the ICU, she has not regained consciousness, and I won’t lie to you folks. Right now, her chances are about fifty-fifty, between the swelling in her brain, the damage to her internal organs, and her blood loss, we are going to do the best we can but she’s in a dangerous place. The next twenty-four hours are going to be crucial. If she pulls through and regains consciousness, then her odds increase significantly.”  
The doctor must have seen the devastation on their faces, and he sighed, seeming to shrink before them, “I’m sorry I don’t have better news for you all, but if you don’t have any questions, I can take you all to her now. I encourage you to talk to her, studies have shown often they can hear you, and it can have a positive impact on her recovery.” 

None of them spoke, with a quick glance he could see that all of them looked equally shell shocked. Diego’s fists were opening and closing as if he might be able to wrap his hands around someone and punch them until Vanya magically got better. His face nearly white, as if all the color had been leached from him, except for his eyes, which were rimmed with red as wetness gathered at the corners. Though it refused to fall, as stubborn as the man himself, it seemed. 

Klaus didn’t know if he had ever seen his brother look so devastated. 

Not since Ben died. 

Luther didn’t look much better, his massive shoulders seemed to collapse within themselves, his hands had migrated up to his head and they clenched over his ears as if he could shut out the words the doctor threw at them and make them disappear. He stared at the doctor, his eyes wide with horror and he seemed unable to speak. 

Luther always had a plan. Had never faltered, never letting them see him weak, but even he didn’t seem immune to the fate of their littlest sister. 

Dora just stood stock still, one hand still grasping his, while the other clenched tightly into a fist by her side. She looked between Diego and the doctor, her eyes dark with sadness and concern. 

He liked her. 

He just hoped that this didn’t shatter things between Diego and her. He didn’t know if Diego would make it if Vanya died. 

Finally, his eyes wondered to his mother, and his heart broke at the look on her face. How anyone could doubt her humanity was beyond him. Before him he saw nothing but a mother, a woman, a human. Tears, or something like them, leaked down her porcelain cheeks, one hand covering her mouth, while the other gripped his shoulder tight. Her eyes, they seemed to hold infinite sadness, and fear like he’d never seen in them before. His mother, who always seemed so perfect, so strong, now looked as if a breeze might knock her right off her feet, and he thought she held onto him so tight because she would collapse otherwise. 

“Please, can we go see her?” Moms voice shattered the silence, breaking on the last words as more tears trailed down her cheeks, “We just want to see her. We can ask our questions after that.” 

The doctor just nodded, “Follow me.” 

They walked like condemned men might walk to the gallows, heaviness in their steps, and dread in their heart. At some point Dora let go, as Grace seemed to propel him beside her, pushing herself to remain just half a step behind the doctor. 

Despite his mother’s tight grip, something in him felt adrift without Dora’s warm hand in his. Touch grounded him. Ghosts after all, no matter how much they tried, couldn’t touch him. Somedays touch became the only way he could tell the living from the dead.

Right now, he needed that more than ever. 

Though his mother’s warmth kept him from floating away entirely, the ghosts seemed to crowd in until he couldn’t tell where the living began and the dead ended. Just a blur of faces, and a constant echo of screaming and beeps as they moved through the hospital. 

Then they stopped, the doctor using his badge to grant them access to the intensive care unit, before leading them to a large room right next to the nurse’s station. All of them freezing outside the door. 

They had wanted so desperately to see her. To have proof that she still existed. But now terror gripped them as they started to realize what would greet them when they opened the door. Hearing what their sister had gone through, about the shape she would be in, and seeing it were such different things. 

God, he wanted to see her, but he couldn’t make his feet move. 

The heady smell of bleach and sickness, and death clung to his nose and his stomach started to roll. Between withdrawal, his nerves, and that fucking smell he couldn’t think. He waited for someone to move or to say something. He looked at the doctor as if he might speak, might open the door and force them into their waking nightmare. But even he seemed frozen, waiting for them to decide as if he knew that they had to be the ones to do it. 

Still, none of them moved. Each of them clearly waiting for one of the others to make a move. He glanced at Luther, always the leader, the one who made the decisions in some of the worst moments of their lives when the rest of them weren’t sure what to do. But Luther just stared back at him, his face pale and beads of sweat gathering at his temples. He looked as if he were the one withdrawing. 

Then, the smell of roses and honey tickled his nose, as his mother moved forward. She took him with her as she took a tentative step towards the door. She stopped right before the door, and then with a sharp breath she opened the it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, now you guys have gotten a little sneak peak at what Allison was doing when this all started, and I promise you that you'll get more of an update on her current whereabouts in part two! And, before anyone comes to me about Allison seeming quite a bit different from the show. Remember, this is an Allison who hasn't had Claire yet, who hasn't lost her husband or her child, an allison who very much still sees her powers as having no dark side. Her feelings towards her family and their importance to her are going to be a lot different. But I promise, growth is coming, and she's going to realize just how much she's missed out on sooner rather than later!  
> Part two will be coming Sunday, and I very much look forward to hearing what you all thought about this first part and look forward to sharing the next!


	7. Chapter 6 part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Its time for the Hargreeves to confront a truth they've been denying for years and learn to let go of the past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you as always for your lovely words of support, I'm so glad I separated these two parts well and that you all enjoyed part one. Now without further ado here's part two! I hope you enjoy it!

Grace took the first steps forward, leading them into the room. He noticed that the other stayed in the hallway with the doctor. He knew Diego and Luther had questions for the man. But from the way they had been acting in the hallway, he wasn’t sure they were ready to confront what lay inside the room. For the two people on the team who saw themselves as the protectors and leaders of the rest of them. He imagined that seeing such a visceral reminder of their self-perceived failure would be hard to face. But, he also thought that Mom deserved to be here first, to get some time with Vanya.

Maybe he deserved that too. 

At First, when they entered the room Klaus didn’t see her, but then his eyes found her. 

“Oh god,” The words escaped his mouth in a rush as he tried to understand the sight before him. He’d known, of course, that it was bad, the hours of surgery, Bens and Diego’s panic, and even the way his mom’s arms held him so tight while they waited, had warned him. But somehow, he imagined that his brief exchange with Vanya had prepared him for seeing her body in the physical plane. 

He was wrong. So wrong. Nothing could have prepared him for this. 

Vanya had always been small, tiny even, compared to the rest of them. But laying there in the hospital bed before him she looked like a child. So tiny that the bed seemed to engulf her, until you could almost lose her in the sheets and the machines around her. Her skin, at least the parts that weren’t covered in black bruises or white bandages, looked so pale that he couldn’t imagine blood still flowing within her. The sheets looked tan against her skin, and the garish blue of the hospital gown only made the bruises look darker and more grotesque in comparison. A strip of her hair, usually silky but now limp against her pillow, had been shaved and a tube looped around her ear and down her neck. He could see another tube sticking out of the side of her gown, and it was almost easier to focus on those than to look at the large handprints around her throat or the bite marks he could see peeking out of the top of her gown. 

He knew how those kinds of bruises got there. Knew the kind of things that people did to each other in the dark. The life he lived had shown him the darkest parts of humanity.   
But Vanya, his sweetest sister, the one who let him crash on her couch any time he showed up. Who always seemed to have his favorite brand of peanut butter in the pantry, even though he knew she detested it, and always gave him that weary little smile of hers. Who still told him that she loved him, even though he had never said it back, and only bothered her when he had no where else to go on a cold night.

What had she done to deserve a fate so cruel? 

The sister who used to beg them not to kill ants, who caught spiders and put them outside before the rest of them could squish it. How had she been hurt like this.   
At some point, he’d wondered into the room, and he found himself beside her bed. The sharp smell of blood and disinfectant hung around her like a cloud. His stomach reminding him that the only thing he’d eaten today had been cheap hospital snacks and water as it turned. He clutched his stomach with one hand, looking down at her swollen face, and reaching out to stroke a finger across her cheek with the other. 

The skin on her cheek felt so soft underneath his fingers, so fragile, as if with just a little bit of pressure he could push right through it. it took all his conscious effort to stroke the small strip of unbruised skin, so afraid that he would hurt her when he only wanted to give her comfort. 

“Oh V, who did this to you?”

He hadn’t asked her before. Too consumed by the raw terror of seeing her there in the emergency room waiting room. 

“We’re going to find them,” The strength in his mothers voice surprised him, but he nodded, “And when we do, we aren’t going to leave anything for the cops to find. A monster like this needs to be put down.” 

Staring down at his sisters bruised face, he let his heart harden, he’d only killed once for the academy. Never wanted to do it again. But looking down at his little sisters still form, he knew he would do it again without hesitation. 

All of them would. 

“I-” He turned his head towards the door, realizing that everyone else had come into the room, standing together at the foot of her bed, all of them seeming frozen at the sight of their sister, “I don’t understand-”

Luther, the esteemed number one, and only remaining cult member among them, had never looked so confused and anguished in their entire lives. Pity pooled in his gut, pushing out the lingering distain he had for his eldest brother, as he realized that Reginald wouldn’t have allowed his star child to be exposed to the realities of the world. The umbrella academy wouldn’t be wasted on rapists or wife beaters or child molesters, so why would number one need to know such things were done to normal people every day in the city. 

“W-What exa-c-ctly don’t you unders-stand?” Diego asked, his fists clenched so tight at his side Klaus couldn’t help wondering if his fingers nails were cutting into his skin. But despite that, his voice held no anger when he spoke to his brother. In fact, it was completely devoid of emotion as he stared at their sisters’ body in the bed. 

No, not her body. 

She wasn’t dead. He touched her skin again, the warmth reassurance to him, she wasn’t dead. She wasn’t. 

“He’s just in shock,” Ben’s voice took him by surprise, and he looked up, he’d forgotten about Ben. Forgotten that his brother had stayed by Vanya’s side for everything. 

God. 

He must have been there when it happened. When their sisters heart stopped, “Oh Benny,” He whispered, tears filling his eyes again as he took in his brother before him. Once again ignoring the family still crowding before the bed behind him, “Are you okay?”

Ben somehow looked paler than normal, almost fading into the whitewashed hospital walls as he stared at Klaus, as if what he’d seen had weakened him. To Klaus he had always taken up the same space as a real person, his form not something he could see through, but now he could see the heart monitor behind him. 

What had happened to him? 

Distantly he heard Luther reply to Diego, “I-I just, why would anyone do this to her? She’s just so small, isn’t she? Who could hurt her?” As if she hadn’t spent years in the house disappearing into fathers office and reappearing spattered with bruises, “We should have been there, we should have protected her,” Luther’s voice broke, “Why weren’t we there?” 

A part of him broke at that too, but he couldn’t look away from the brother in front of him. Not to comfort the brother who viewed him as worthless, content to parrot whatever Dad told him. Not when his only real friend for almost a decade, and the only one of his siblings who still saw him as a person not a junkie, seemed to be second away from disappearing entirely. 

Even Vanya saw him for what he was, though she treated him far better than the others, who were content to pretend he didn’t exist. He could talk to Luther later, if he’d even listen to his junkie brother. 

“Some people are just fucked up,” Diego replied, Klaus knew he would take care of Luther, clear by the way he talked so gently to the man he’d spent his life hating, “Some p-p-people enjoy other people’s pain.” 

He refocused, “Ben?”

Ben. 

Oh, God. 

Poor Ben. 

Never once in the nine years they’d been together had Ben cried. Not truly. A few times he teared up, his face crumbling when Klaus took his first hit of heroine, or when his siblings left the academy behind one by one. But even when he first realized he’d died, and his life would be nothing but haunting him, his dreams of writing and escape gone forever, he hadn’t truly cried. 

The moment their eyes met though, he watched in horror as his brother’s face crumbled, and tears cut lines down his cheeks as his breath seemingly caught in his throat.   
He felt tears streaking down his own cheeks as he watched his brother break down, hunched over Vanya’s bed, his hands resting against the bed beside her, “Ben, I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry I asked you to do that.”

Ben lifted his head, his eyes full of so much pain that Klaus had to look away, “You didn’t ask me, I volunteered, and I’d do it a hundred times over if it meant she didn’t have to do it alone.” 

The way his voice broke on the last word caused his heart to clench, and it took everything in him not to leap over the bed to try to hug his brother. But he couldn’t let go of Vanya, not yet ready to have her fade into the obscure midway point between the living and the dead. Only the warmth of her body, and the gentle rise and fall of her chest assured him that she hadn’t left them again. 

Wishing he could be strong enough to let go, and actually being able to were two different things. But Ben understood him always, his own hand resting atop Vanya’s. As if he too could anchor her to this reality. Hold her spirit inside her body while she healed. 

Klaus refused to allow himself to think of anything thing else. Between the two of them they would keep her here. 

“Ben,” he reached out with his other hand, “you aren’t alone, we’re all here, and we aren’t going anywhere. Vanya’s not going anywhere.” 

“Klaus,” He jumped halfway out of his skin at the sound of his mothers voice so close to him, “Who are you talking to? Is Ben here with us?” 

The quiet talking at the door went silent at her question, “Ben? What are you talking about mom?” Luther spoke, anger flashing in his eyes, his grief overturned in the face of this. His brothers had always found it so much easier to be angry, anger after all, felt so much better than sadness or shame, “Ben’s been dead for years.” 

Klaus wanted to lie, like he always did, but when he looked up and saw the longing and the heartbreak and the pain on his brothers face, he straightened his shoulders, grabbing Vanya’s hand for strength as he turned to face his mother and his siblings, “Yes sweet Mom, Ben’s here, he misses you by the way, can’t say I blame him your hugs are pretty legendary,” He forced himself to refocus, now wasn’t the time for a tangent, even if it was true, “he was the one who found Vanya in the ER and told me about her being here, it’s how I knew to go there this morning,” He looked at Diego as if begging him to remember his own confusion when Klaus had shown up, “He’s always with me, but he stayed with Vanya after he found me, never left her side for a moment-” 

“Seriously Klaus, why would you even say that? It’s not enough that our sister looks like this,” Luther gestured to the bed, as if the rest of them were blind to the horror before them, “Now you have to bring Ben into it?” 

Anger burned hot and bright in his chest, maybe if he weren’t three days sober and in desperate need of some Ativan, he wouldn’t have bothered to fight back. But as it was, he tightened his grip on his sisters’ hand, and rose to his full height, “I’m not lying, I’ve been trying to tell you all since the day he died, but none of you ever bothered to believe me. You act as if I’m not the séance, as if I don’t see the dead, all of you just dismissed me as an attention seeking junkie,” He stopped, his shoulders slumping as he turned back to look at Vanya’s face once more, “Except for Vanya, she always believed me. Even when I gave her no reason to.” 

“So, tell me,” He asked, turning back to look at them again, “why you, the people I trained with, the people who’ve seen me talk to the dead with your own two eyes, couldn’t believe me? You’re supposed to be my team, why would I lie about this?” At some point, he’d started to yell, his chest heaving as he glared at them, “I literally saw our sister down there, when her heart stopped on the table. You saw it, you saw it, and you believed me then! Yet for some reason you still act as if Ben being here with me is insane. Just another story made up by your sad junkie brother.” 

Diego and Luther looked shell-shocked, Dora looked at them both with something like anger in her face, and Mom just wrapped an arm around his shoulders, “We haven’t been good to you, my beautiful boy, have we? I’m so sorry that you thought we didn’t believe you. I never knew how to bring it up, by the time Ben died I saw you so infrequently it never seemed like the right time. I love you so much and I’m so sorry we made you feel that way.” 

“It wasn’t your fault mom,” He reassured her, letting his free arm wrap around her waist, “I never even asked you what you thought. I just assumed you’d follow the company line,” Dad had never allowed her to voice her thoughts unless they lined up with his own. He often thought he might have programmed her to be incapable of contracting him, at least not with words, though she often found ways around his commands. 

“Oh Klaus,” Her mother whispered, her arms tightening almost imperceptivity, “I’ll always believe you, and your siblings. You’re my children, my first priority in all things is your happiness and your safety.” 

He just nodded, waiting for his brothers to accuse him of more lies, he knew they needed something to redirect their feelings towards. Both of them incapable of handling their emotions in any other way. Powerlessness and helplessness made them lash out and seeing their sister like this. It had to be hard for them both. 

It didn’t excuse the shit they said or did. 

But he understood the why behind it. 

Aside from Vanya, he had always been their favorite target, the easier person to pick on and to belittle to make themselves feel better after a bad mission or a private training session with dad. 

“Klaus,” Luther and Diego said at the same time, almost comical looks of frustration on their faces as they turned to stare at each other as if daring the other to speak next. His brothers were predictable if nothing else. 

“Look Klaus-“

“Klaus, you know-”

He sighed, if he waited for one of them to let the other speak they’d have died of old age by the time they spit it out, “Save it, right now we need to focus on Vanya, and I need to talk to Ben.” 

“Can we talk to him?” Again, the terror twins struck at the same time, red flaring across their faces as they chose to simply ignore each other this time. 

Ben nodded desperately, tears still streaming down his face, “Klaus please.” 

“Yeah, Benny boy is listening, he’s right there besides the bed,” He told them pointing in his brother’s direction, “He says he loves you both and he’s missed you.” 

Ben smiled gratefully at him through his tears, and for a moment he let himself feel something other than terror and hurt. Ben had wanted to talk to his other siblings since the first day he appeared besides Klaus in the living room. But every time Klaus tried it fell on deaf ears. Only Vanya had listened, saying gentle hellos and goodbyes to Ben whenever Klaus darkened her doorstep. That same tired smile crossing her face for a mere moment with the mention of their brother’s name. 

Luther and Diego moved together, sitting in the chairs besides Ben and taking turns talking to the air besides them as they stared with dark eyes at their sisters form in the bed. Her chest moving so slightly that if it weren’t for the beeping on the machine and the warmth of her skin Klaus would truly think her dead.   
He sat down besides her bed, pulling the chair close so he could keep his hand on hers, and chose to focus only on her. Wouldn’t let himself think about how quickly his brothers had changed their minds, sitting across from his and talking to Ben as if they’d always believed him. As if they hadn’t spent nearly ten years calling him a liar and belittling him for trying to tell them about it. 

He would deal with that later, some white powder or some pills would make all those feelings disappear. 

God. 

He wanted that. Wanted the sweet oblivion the drugs would grant him. The distance from his feelings and his thoughts that nothing else had ever given him. He could almost feel the harsh itch in his nose and the euphoric high that came after he did a line. 

But one look at his sisters face sent it all crashing back down. 

Even he, as selfish as he was, couldn’t leave her like this. He promised her that he would be here when she woke up. Promised she wouldn’t be alone anymore. 

He’d broken a lot of promises over the years. 

He wouldn’t let himself break this one.

His mother brought over two more chairs, and sat beside him. Dora settling on his other side as if she’d always been there. He felt two sets of hands on his shoulders, Mom sliding hers into the hand that wasn’t holding Vanya, and Dora twinning hers through his elbow. It felt nice to have such a physical reminder that he wouldn’t be alone in this.   
He couldn’t remember the last time anyone had touched him for free. 

He touched plenty of people for drugs, for money or for a free place to stay the night. Sometimes he let them touch him just so that he could remember that people were real. A simple reminder that not everyone around him was a specter or a shade haunting his footsteps. 

He cherished it. Who knew how long it would last, this new found trust and compassion for him. It never lasted long and he would be a fool not to take advantage.   
All the while, he held onto Vanya’s hand, he thought she might also appreciate the reminder that she wasn’t alone in the world. And to settle his own fear that the moment he let go he would lose her again. 

At some point the trembles set in and sweat began to pool on the back of his neck. But he ignored it. He knew he was almost through day three, the worst was over, and he would get through this for his sister. He wouldn’t leave her side until she woke up. 

Maybe not even then. 

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

He felt crazy talking to the thin air besides Vanya’s bed, crazier to be doing it with Luther, the two of them having the first civil conversation they’d had in years with their ghost brother as a silent mediator. A part of him still doubted Ben’s ghost lingered beside them, but he couldn’t shake the feeling of shame that hit him when he saw Klaus’s face. Took in the pain, and the hurt at their accusations. He’d learned to spot liars, honed the skill to the point of near perfection at the police academy, and he saw no signs of deception in his brothers face. 

But if he chose to believe him, it would mean acknowledging that he’d spent years treating his brother like shit for nothing. Years spent ignoring him and pretending he didn’t exist. Time that, if things had been different, he might have gotten to spent talking with Ben and helping his brother get clean. 

He already knew Dora believed Klaus. 

It might just be the pure insanity her life had become since they’d met, or it might just be that she was simply a better person than him. Untainted by years of prejudice against Klaus, years of his father telling them all that he was nothing more than a useless, lying junkie, content to squander his gifts to feed his own monsters. 

Funny, in a sick sort of way, how after all these years he still had to work so hard to remove Dads taint form his own mind. How many of the things that he thought were fact were simply Reginald Hargreeves poison. 

He didn’t have to look much further for another example of this than the figure laying in the bed before him. So still that he found himself looking at the monitor every few seconds to check her heartbeat. All their lives they’d treated her like dirt on their shoes. Lesser than them simply because their father degreed it. As if their powers were some blessing. 

He realized not long after he left the academy that they were poison. All the miseries in his life could be traced back to the fact that he had them. 

After his worst sessions with dad, he used to think Vanya was lucky not to have powers, and it only stoked the fire of his resentment for her. All she ever had to do was sit in the house and play violin. She never had to train with them or go on missions. No private sessions with their father. He always managed to block out all the memories of her stumbling out of their father’s office, eyes glossy, new bruises forming on her cheek or around her wrists. Forgot all the times that their father had them test their powers on her, because what did it matter if she got hurt, they needed to train. Since she didn’t have powers the least she could do was help them perfect theirs. 

God. 

They really had been brainwashed by that man. 

Were they really any better than him? 

Staring at Vanya, he certainly didn’t feel any better, in fact he felt worse. He was supposed to take care of her, love her. Instead, he’d abandoned her, not caring even for a second what happened to her. He chose to forget about her the second she left the academy. Dad had removed her plate from the table, and with that it was as if she never existed at all.   
He glanced over at Luther, saw him still talking rather animatedly to the space Ben supposedly occupied, and then he glanced over at the others across from him. Dora and his mom were talking quietly, Klaus sandwiched between them, Klaus himself had a hand on Vanya’s arm as he stared into the distance. The coast appeared clear, so he scooted his chair a little closer to the bed and took his sisters hand in his. 

God her fingers were so tiny, even with the splints on two of them, he could hold all her fingers with just two of his. 

“Vanya,” He wasn’t good with words, but the doctor said they should talk to her, “I want you to know, I’m sorry, I-I-I haven’t been a g-g-good-d brother. But I’m going t-to do better, I’m going to fi-i-x things between us when you wake up. Okay? But you h-h-have to w-wake up.” 

A part of him hoped that she would magically open her eyes the minute he spoke, it would be a miracle, and everything would be better. But she didn’t react at all. Her chest rising steadily, and the monitor above her head still beeping steadily without a single hitch to show that she heard him. 

It was stupid to have thought such a small thing would make a difference. 

He was stupid to think his voice would matter to her. 

If anything, hearing him might make her want to stay unconscious for longer. No doubt if she knew he was here, that all of them were here, she’d wake expecting to be berated for getting hurt. He knew it’s what they would have done if they were younger. What Dad would have done and had done on the rare occasions Vanya hurt herself when they were kids. 

“Just come b-back to us,” He whispered, giving her uninjured fingers a gentle squeeze, “Please.” 

He bowed his head over her hands and sent a small prayer up to whoever might be listening that she would be okay. That he would get the chance to fix all the things that lay broken between them. He wished it hadn’t taken something like this for him to start to examine the things in his life. 

He might have stayed there, bowed over her little fingers, for hours, trying to ignore the steady building of pressure behind his eyes, but his phone rang. Forcing him to sit up as he reached into his pocket, an unknown number flashed across the screen, but something about it looked familiar so he answered, standing up to move out into the hallway.   
He wouldn’t disturb his family. The peace between them all felt so fragile, and he refused to be the one to break it.

“Hello?” 

“Diego, can you hear me?” Allison’s voice crackled in his ear, her words breaking up until he could only just make them out, “Diego?”

“You’re breaking up Allison, I can’t understand you.” 

A long silent stretched, broken up only by the crackle of the phone in his ear, but then his sisters voice came through again, clearer this time, “Sorry, bad reception, how’s Vanya?” 

“Not good,” He told her, not really wanting to get into details, “When will you be here?” 

“I’m leaving the set now,” He looked down at his watch, it was nearly ten, he thought she’d be on a flight by now. He knew there wouldn’t be a chance in hell of her getting a flight until the morning.

“Allison, why aren’t you on a plane right now?” He couldn’t help the anger in his tone. He’d told her how serious this was, Vanya might not even make it through the night, and she couldn’t even be bothered to get on a plane? 

“I told you I had to film today Diego, there were thing that needed to be done before I could gallivant across the country. I know you wouldn’t understand, but I have commitments here and people that depend on me being in certain places at certain times. I’ll be there tomorrow afternoon at the latest,” She snapped back at him, acting as if Vanya’s situation was a minor inconvenience not a life and death situation. 

It took everything in him not to toss the phone at the wall, “If she dies before you get here, don’t act surprised.” 

He hung up without another word. The phone immediately buzzed in his hand again, and he answered with a terse, “Here, talk to your boyfriend.” 

He threw the phone at Luther as he re-entered Vanya’s room, “Allison’s on the phone, she’s going to need a ride here tomorrow.” 

He didn’t even bother hiding his eye roll as Luther’s face lit up as he brought the phone to his ear, and quickly started talking to Allison as if their sister weren’t fighting for her life mere inches from him, “Take it outside, big guy, you’re disturbing us,” Klaus’s voice cut across the room, “Vanya isn’t interested in your love life.” 

Luther managed to look a little chagrined as he stepped out into the hallway, and Diego just growled at his back as he resumed his seat besides Vanya, “I take it our resident Diva isn’t going to be here anytime soon?” 

“No, apparently filming is more important than her sister’s life,” He snarled, trying not to bite Klaus’s head off for something he had nothing to do with. Klaus looked bad enough as it was, he didn’t need Diego adding to it. 

“I’m sure your sister has an exceptionally good reason for not being here right now,” Mom told them, looking between them, “And I’m sure she’ll get here as fast as she can.”   
He scoffed, “If she wanted to be here, she’d be here already.” 

All of them knew it. 

With her abilities she could have hopped on a plane without even needing to get a ticket. Not that she’d need to rely on her rumors with her celebrity status. Just the mere mention of her needing a seat would have half the passengers falling over themselves to give up theirs. 

But mom always saw the best in them. Even when they didn’t deserve it. 

“As heartwarming as your faith is, mother, I have to agree with grumpy cat over there. The only thing stopping Allison from being here is Allison,” Klaus stopped, tilting his head as if listening to someone else in the room, “Ben agrees, he’s disappointed, and that’s saying something.” 

Mom, for once, didn’t even bother trying to defend Allison again. Something like hurt flashing across her face as she looked down at Vanya’s still form. 

He hated when they disappointed Mom. Even with the anger burning hot in his gut, he wished that Allison would get over herself and be here. They needed her. As much as it pained him to admit it. He found himself wondering if she might be able to rumor Vanya into getting better. Keep her from dying with the power of those four little words. It might be the only time any of them were actually happy for Allison to use a rumor on them. 

But now Vanya would have to make it through the night for that to happen. 

She had to. 

She would. 

She always proved herself stronger than any of them thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! The next chapter should be out before the end of the week! Let me know what you thought and as always thank you for taking the time to read my story! These characters mean so much to me and its so nice to have so many people enjoying my little AU


	8. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben, bonding, some more trauma, and anticipation as Allison's arrival draws closer! All in a day for the Hargreeves family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my beautiful readers,   
> Thank you as always for taking the time to leave kudos and comments, I will never stop appreciating them, and thank you for returning to read this chapter! I promise this will be the last chapter before we get to see Vanya's POV again. From there the story is going to slowly transition to primarily her POV with other characters mixed in for extra spice!   
> I hope you enjoy this chapter and let me know in the comments if you have any ideas, liked or disliked any scenes or are wanting to see anything in particular for our favorite family!

It had been sometime since the last of his siblings succumbed to sleep, Diego finally nodding off almost a full hour after even Luther passed out. Leaving only Ben to stand as a sentinel over his sleeping siblings, the last guard against the horrors of the night. Standing there he felt peace settle over him like a blanket. The gentle beep of the heart monitor and the whistle of the oxygen tubing the only noise in the room aside from the subtle snoring coming from where Diego and Luther had slumped against each other besides Vanya’s bed. He wished he had a camera because that would be blackmail material for the next century. 

It looked like Diego might even be drooling on the shoulder of Luther’s sweater, not that it seemed to bother their aforementioned brother, as his head rested atop Diego’s mouth wide open as he snored softly. 

Might just be the cutest thing he’d seen in years. 

On the opposite side of the bed, Mom lay motionless in her battery saving mode, she refused to go home to charge, when Diego had tried to force her to go she’d simply told him that she wouldn’t leave until Vanya woke up. Diego continued to protest, but Mom assured everyone she had more than enough battery to last another day or two. Dora ended the conversation by tugging Diego’s ear and reminding him that Mom was perfectly capable of making her own decisions. Seeing someone defend his mom’s agency brought another smile to his face. Dad controlled her every move, from her dress down to her expressions. While they all wanted her to have as much agency as possible, sometimes even they forgot that she could think for herself. Too wrapped up in trying to protect her to see that they were in effect doing the same thing to her that dad did. 

Ben couldn’t be the one to point it out, so he appreciated Dora even more for advocating for their mom despite barely knowing her. 

He returned his attention to the room, taking in his mom, a smile still stretched across her face despite the emptiness in her eyes, he hated himself for thinking it, but it was creepy to see her like that. So still and lifeless, like a doll put back onto the shelf when its owner got bored of them. He didn’t linger for long there, his eyes settling on Dora next, a sight that got him smiling again. At some point she’d fallen asleep on Grace’s shoulder and before she depowered herself, Mom had settled Dora’s head in her lap. One hand still resting gently atop Dora’s head as if to remind herself they were still there. 

God, he really needed a camera! When Vanya woke up, she would want to see it all. 

He just wanted to give her a reason to smile. 

Then there was Klaus, somehow, he’d managed to sprawl over the bottom half of Vanya’s bed, curled around her feet like a puppy, one hand cupping her ankle while the other pillowed beneath his head. Sweat still trickled down his forehead, darkening the curls that danced around the edges of his face, and the top of the hospital gown he refused to change out of. Occasionally he whimpered, limps twitching like a puppy-dog and his fingers tightening their grip on Vanya’s ankle before relaxing again. 

It was heartbreakingly adorable. All of it. 

He wanted nothing more than to join them, to lay next to Klaus and hold on to their sister. To reassure himself that the motionless body in the bed still breathed. Wanted to hold his siblings and reassure them that it would all be okay. 

He wanted a lot of things. 

But he knew more than anyone that wanting meant nothing in the grand scheme of things. Somedays it made him bitter, this existence he’d trapped himself in, but most days he let it go. Glad to simply be a part of their lives at all. Tonight, despite the horror of the circumstances, it felt right. Having the majority of his family in one room, being able to protect them all, to watch over them when they were vulnerable. It meant the world to him. To have their trust like this, knowing that they all knew he would be there to watch over them now. It was a powerful thing that trust. Nothing in the world would make him break it. 

In that moment, looking at them all, he knew that he would do whatever it took to keep them close. He wouldn’t let things go back to how they were, he would fight Klaus until he agreed to see them all again. Until he agreed to give sobriety a real try. To give being a brother and a friend one last chance. 

He moved to stand next to the head of Vanya’s bed, “V, we are going to be here for you, I promise. I won’t let him leave without saying goodbye anymore. When you wake up everything is going to be different. We are going to be different.” 

The doctor said they should talk to her, and he’d seen his siblings taking their turns to whisper promises and reassurances into her ear when they thought the others weren’t paying attention. Forgetting, as always, that he could hear every word. Every promise and apology. Each one different, heartbreaking in their own right, but holding the same theme. Promises of change. Promises to be there and to support her through recovery. Promises to be a family again. 

Now he wanted to take his turn. The words he’d felt building since the moment he set eyes on her down in the trauma room, now bubbling to the surface with a startling ferocity.

She wouldn’t be able to hear him.

But he wanted to say it regardless. It meant something to him to speak the words, as if somehow that made them sacred, made them real. Like somehow the fates would hear him speak and weave his words into the fabric of reality. Bending the fabric of time and space to allow him to keep his promises. 

“I’m never going to let this happen again, I’m sorry I wasn’t there, and that you were alone when this happened. But I’ve been with you since you got here, you weren’t alone, and you won’t be again. God, I wish you could hear me V, I wish I could tell you everything. How much it hurt to leave you every time Klaus rushed out the door or snuck out before you woke up. To tell you that I heard you speaking to me, and that I was there listening. Even when Klaus was too high to hear me or too mad to do anything but ignore me. I saw you then, and I see you now,” Tears were leaking down his cheeks again, he never cried but now it seemed as if he couldn’t stop, “I know you made it Vanya, you went to the school we picked out, and you still play your violin. Did you ever audition for the orchestra? Are you still in that same ratty apartment we used to visit when you were in college? Klaus loved the couch, but it broke my heart how little of yourself you had there. Vanya, we were supposed to do it all together, and I’m so sorry I left you behind. I’m so sorry I couldn’t be there for you.” 

His legs gave out, and he let himself fall to his knees beside her, reaching out to rest his hands next to her, “If I could do it all again, I would never have gone on that mission, I would have listened to you when you asked me to run away with you. I heard them all tell you in those first weeks that they wished it had been you instead of me, but I want you to know I would have died a hundred times to save you. So, seeing you like this, its breaking me, please you have to wake up Vanya. I know we’ve all said it, and all of us let you down so many times over the years. None of us have any right to ask anything of you, but please for all of us, you have to wake up.” 

Bowing his head, he let the tears come as he sobbed into her sheets and prayed. 

“I’ve never prayed before,” He managed a laugh through his tears, his eyes turning up to the heavens as his hands came together a top her sheets, “Funny, even when I was dying, I didn’t think to pray because what was the point. It wouldn’t change things. But for you, I’ll pray to the big sky daddy, as Klaus calls him, I’ll do anything for you V. Literally anything, I hope you know that, and if you don’t I’m going to make Klaus tell you every day until you do.” 

He blinked at the pale white ceiling, before resting his head on his hands again, and letting himself settle into the silence around him. Broken up only by the steady sounds of the machinery and the monitors around him. Snores creating a chorus with the beeps and the whoosh of the oxygen. 

Time passed but he stayed there, listening to her quiet breath and the symphony of snores and whimpers from his siblings that chorused in the background. The smell of bleach and something earthy and familiar tickling his nose as he lay his head close to hers. 

If he were capable of it he would have drifted off to the sounds. 

He did close his eyes, but as always sleep never came. He just drifted, keeping an ear out for any changes in the noises around him. Thinking about all the things he wished he could change. A lifetime of regrets and mistakes clamoring for their opportunity to remind him what a failure he’d been in life and in death. Somehow, he thought death would be a lot more peaceful than it had turned out to be. But when had anything in his life been peaceful? Listening to Vanya play in their childhood probably the closest he ever came to true peace. Even the tentacles in his chest slowed when they heard her play, as if her music soothed them too, he’d never told her, simply enjoyed the respite from the never-ending struggle happening within his body. 

The monitor started to beep louder, and he lifted his head to see Vanya’s face scrunch as a whimper escaped from her lips, “Vanya?” 

The machines started to scream, and Vanya’s eyes shot open as her limbs began to tremor. Around him his siblings woke as the alarming got louder, and Vanya’s tremoring turned into full on shaking, the bed rattling against the floor as her whole body began to jerk. 

“No,” She whispered as her eyes slid shut and blood poured down her chin. Her teeth tearing into her lips as her muscles seized up. 

Diego shot out of his chair, blinking for a moment before he shot out of the room shouting for help as he pulled open the door. Terror draining the color from his cheeks. Luther wasn’t far behind him, but he seemed to freeze as he took in Vanya’s tremoring form, his eyes darting from the heart monitor behind them, now reading in the mid 100’s, to her form on the bed. Everything about him seemed to scream, what do I do, and for the second time that day he watched their leader freeze with indecision. 

What could he do against this? Strength couldn’t stop this, for all his muscles and training, no enemy lay in the bed that he could fight off. No grand villain spouting obscenities for him to tear apart. For all the missions he ran without them, dad gave him nothing but basic medical training. Nothing that would be of any use against this invisible attacker. 

So, he watched. 

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Klaus slithering off the bed, collapsing on the floor, his eyes wide and his pupils blown as he tried to figure out what was going on. Ben could see the exact moment his trauma took over, watching helplessly as Klaus slid across the floor until his back hit the wall. His hands coming up to cover his ears as he rocked himself slowly. Ben could hear him muttering to himself, his heart shattering with every word, “No, please, no, not again, please, not again.”

Over and over the words poured out, Klaus eyes squeezing shut as the alarms continued to blare echoing through the room. Ben saw the ghosts honing in on his brother, any weakness like a beacon for them, and immediately moved to intercept them. Letting the tentacles slide out from his stomach, using them to push the other ghosts away from his brothers trembling form. 

By the time he’d managed to fend them off, the medical team had arrived, a doctor and two nurses moving around the bed rapidly, he watched them push medication into his sisters IV. The doctor ordering more tests to be done, as the nurses rolled Vanya onto her side, and they watched the clock. 

“Seizure lasted one minute and twenty-two seconds,” The nurse, he vaguely recognized as the one who’d come in a few times since Vanya got to this floor, Alex maybe, reported to the doctor, “We may need to increase her Keppra dosage, another seizure like this could be dangerous given our concerns about the swelling in her brain.” 

The doctor nodded, “I’ll put the order in, have them do a bedside EEG, I want to monitor her for the rest of the night,” For the first time he seemed to notice them all in the room, Luther still standing motionless by the monitors, Dora clutching Diego at the door way, Klaus on the floor still huddled against himself, and mom blinking awake by the bed side, “We will be starting some monitoring to watch her brain activity for the rest of the night, if you notice anything like this again please get us.”

He turned to Diego, “You did the right thing getting help, for now she’s stable, her heart rates already coming down and the seizing has stopped. I know its not easy to see our family members like this, but we are keeping an eye on everything.” 

Without another word the doctor stepped out joined by the second nurse, but Alex stayed, “Is there anything I can get you all? I’m sorry you had to see that I know how scary that can be.” 

“Is she going to be okay?” Luther asked, and if Ben weren’t mistaken tears were glistening in his older brothers’ eyes, “What are we supposed to do if this happens again?” 

Always looking for orders, it made Ben sad to see, but he appreciated Luther trying to help Vanya. 

The nurse smiled, though it looked strained to Ben’s eyes, “We will know more about her condition after the EEG, but we are doing everything we can to keep her stable. As for seizures, the biggest thing is if you can turn her on her side so she doesn’t choke on her own spit or vomit. Other than that, the most important thing is getting us so we can help her. Now, if you all don’t have any other questions, I’m going to get some ointment for Vanya’s lip. It looks like she bit it during her seizure,” When no one else said a word, she nodded, and walked back out of the room. 

“Klaus, it’s okay, they’re gone, Vanya’s okay,” Ben crouched beside his brother, watching his other siblings from the corner of his eyes, “Can you get up?” 

Klaus just shook his head, his eyes frantically searching the room, “Klaus please, I can’t help you, but the others can.” 

“They don’t care,” He whispered back, his eyes still darting around the room, settling on the heart monitor above the bed, “Is she okay?” 

“She just had a seizure Klaus, I promise, if you get up you can see her for yourself,” The sight of the blood on her face might freak him out, but Ben knew from experience that Klaus wouldn’t settle until he could touch another living being. Touch anchored him in a way words never did. 

Ghosts could talk to him. 

But only humans, living ones, could touch him and give off warmth. They just passed through him and offered him the chill of a cold winter breeze. 

“Klaus?” He turned and saw their mother crouching beside them, “Honey, do you think we can get off the floor? I know that was scary, but hospitals are filthy, and you know how I feel about you all being dirty.” 

She gently pried Klaus’s hands from his ears, and Ben hated that he felt jealous of her ability to reattach Klaus to reality, “Come now my sweet one, let’s get back to your sister, and to the nice clean chairs they gave us. Diego, dearest, can you please go get us a blanket? Luther I’m sure we could all use some coffee, I doubt any of us will be able to go back to sleep, and I’m sure they have some at the nurses station.” 

Seamlessly their mother got them all moving, Luther and Diego straightening with newfound purpose, and Klaus allowing Grace to pull him to his feet, guiding him gently back to the seat beside her, “Dora, do you think you could ask if they have a radio at the desk? Vanya loves classical music, and it might help us all to have something relaxing to listen to.” 

Ben watched Dora disappear out the door as the nurse from before re-entered, smiling at Grace and Klaus as she moved to Vanya’s side. With gentle hands, she wiped away the blood on Vanya’s face and cleaned her lip, applying cream, “Ma’am, I would recommend that you all reapply this to her lips every few hours, to try to keep them moist. Thankfully, it’s only a superficial injury, but with everything else I’d rather keep a close eye on it.” 

“Of course,” Mom replied, one of her most award-winning smiles firmly in place, “Will you just leave the tube on the table for us? I’ll make sure it gets put on as needed. I know the doctor mentioned some more testing, how long do you think until they’ll be in here to set it up?” 

“Within the next ten to fifteen minutes, but I’ll go and get an update for you.” 

As she left Ben moved to stand beside his mother, placing a hand on her shoulder as she cradled Klaus, who stared blankly at Vanya’s form in the bed. Her face still scrunched in discomfort and tensed where it had been so peaceful before. 

He hated it. 

Hated that he couldn’t take her hand, and reassure her that he was watching, that he would wake Klaus if something went wrong. Or if Vanya woke while they were sleeping. Hated that she couldn’t give him a hug and ruffle his hair the way she used to. It always made him feel better. 

But as always, he could do nothing but watch as Klaus took comfort in their mothers embrace. Still looking a little too out of it to be anything but trouble brewing. He just hoped Klaus wouldn’t do anything stupid and that the others would stop him if he tried. 

“It’s going to be okay, Klaus,” He whispered, resting a hand on Klaus’s shoulder, “Just you wait and see.” 

Diego’s hands shook, water crashing against the sink as he tried to splash his face with it, trying to refocus. But all he could see every time his eyes closed was Vanya shaking in that bed, just like she had in the ambulance. Helplessness choked him as he stared down at his own useless hands. 

How could he keep them safe if he couldn’t even control himself?

Dad had been right all along, he could never be number one, never be a leader. He was useless, absolutely useless. Seeing Vanya like that, watching Luther freeze out of the corner of his eyes, and Klaus cowering in the corner, he’d frozen too. Watching it in slow motion like a car crash or a shootout. Yeah, he’d gotten help, but after that he’d allowed Dora to wrap him in her embrace as he stood there in the door. Like a fucking child. 

Useless. 

Fucking useless. 

It took everything in him not to punch the mirror. He wanted to feel something else, and Dad taught them that pain could override anything. It would be so easy. He knew how glass felt embedded in his skin, it wouldn’t be the first time he’d done this, wouldn’t be the first time he’d punched himself bloody just to forget the things he didn’t want to feel. But he couldn’t do that. It would just be another sign of his failure. Vanya needed to be the one they were focused on, and if he showed up bloody, they’d all turn their eyes on him. 

He didn’t deserve their concern or their worry. 

Since this all happened, he’d been nothing but a stuttering piece of shit. Leaning against everyone else instead of standing tall and letting them lean on him. If dad saw him like this he’d put him in the tank for hours, over and over again, until he forgot what it felt like to breathe. Then he’d put him down a few more times just to make sure the lesson stuck.

“Diego?” 

Jesus Christ, he really couldn’t catch a break, “What do you w-want Luther?” 

He couldn’t even muster the energy to put his normal bite in the words, instead he just sounded empty. Absolutely pathetic. He couldn’t stand to look at himself any longer, so he turned his face towards the door, where Luther hung half into the bathroom, his gaze weary. 

“I just wanted to check on you, mom said you’d been gone for a while,” Luther stopped, hands coming up to brush awkwardly through his hair, “I told her I’d get you, we got coffee and donuts. Dora told me you guys are training in the police academy together, so I figured donuts would go over well.” 

God, his brother was just as helpless as him, couldn’t even tell a joke right, but somehow, he still found himself smiling. A small one, because he refused to give Luther anything more, but a smile nonetheless, “Okay. Be there in a minute.” 

“Okay, cool-cool,” Luther murmured, slowly shutting the door as he moved back into the hall, “We saved a strawberry one for you.” 

How Luther or any of the others remember that he used to eat all the strawberry donuts at Griddy’s when they were kids, he had no idea, but he wasn’t about to question it. Right now, he needed to get out of his own head, and get back into the game. He wouldn’t get any less pathetic sitting here and wallowing. Taking a deep breath, he squared his shoulders, and left the bathroom. Within a few seconds he was pushing open Vanya’s door, and taking in his family, huddled in a circle around Vanya’s bed a box of donuts settled on the bed between them. 

“How did you even get these?” He couldn’t help but ask, the absolute absurdity of them all eating donuts at 4am an hour after Vanya had another seizure had to be commented on. 

Dora smirked, “I keep telling you that grub hub delivers Griddy’s, but you never believe me. So, here’s your proof.” 

Well now he owed her five dollars, and she got to pick the movies at their next movie night. Why did he keep betting against her? She always won. Maybe he should just learn not to turn everything into a competition to start with. But that was a thought for another day when he wasn’t running off less than six hours of sleep in almost forty-eight hours. 

“I shouldn’t have doubted you,” He told her as he moved to join them all, glancing at Klaus he let himself smile for real, apparently Griddy’s stuffed chocolate donuts were enough to pull him out of the near catatonic state he’d been in since the seizure. Chocolate icing had somehow gotten smeared across his forehead, and when he caught Diego’s eye, he was midway through unhinging his jaw to stuff an entire donut in his mouth. 

“Diego, nice of you to join us,” Klaus spoke around the donut, his words coming out warbled and muffled behind the pastry. 

Diego couldn’t help himself, and he gave his brother a gentle smack to the back of the head, “Chew and swallow before you speak asshole.” 

“Rude,” Klaus choked out, looking at mom like she would help him, but all she did was smile at him, “You know better, Klaus, I raised you all to be gentlemen, isn’t that right Vanya?” His mother’s casual inclusion brought all eyes back to their sister’s form. Now in addition to all the tubes and the drains, and the heart monitor wires, their sister had a series of stickies across her temple, long wires connecting to another machine in the corner to monitor her brain waves. 

“If Vanya were awake, she’d be on my side,” Klaus said as he finally swallowed his donut, “I’m her favorite aside from Ben.” 

“Please, we all know five’s her favorite,” Luther retorted, reaching to grab another old fashion glazed donut from the box, “And she used to hate it when you’d chew with your mouth open at the table.” 

All of them glanced at him in surprise, Diego couldn’t help but feel relieved that he wasn’t the only one shocked at Luther knowing any of that, “Five doesn’t count, and you know it.” 

Klaus shot back before sticking his tongue out and inhaling the last of his donut. 

“I think Vanya will just be happy to see all of you,” The words hit his heart like a leaded weight, “She always asked about you when she came to visit me at the house.” Mom smiled at them as she spoke, as if she weren’t breaking all their hearts, and making the guilt and shame burn hotter than the fires of hell within them all, “Make sure you save her one of the sprinkle donuts, she always liked those the best.” 

He’d never noticed. 

From the look on the rest of their siblings, neither had they, thankfully Dora stepped up, “I’ll set one aside right now Grace, I’m sure Vanya will appreciate it when she wakes up,” The fact that she likely wouldn’t be able to eat anything when she woke up was best not mentioned. The thought had to count for something, right?

Knowing Vanya, she would be so shocked they bothered to save her a donut at all, let alone one that she actually liked, that she wouldn’t say a word. Probably just smile at them all, and hold the donut as if it were a diamond. They never bothered to do things like that for her when they were kids.

After five vanished they hadn’t even invited her to Griddy’s. Even Ben and Klaus had forgotten about her, all of them too lost in the high of escape to remember to include her. 

They really had been little shits back then. 

Not that it stopped Vanya from reaching out or trying to be there for them. She patched them up after training and played violin for Klaus and Ben when their demons seemed seconds away from taking over, she smiled at him even when Dad made him throw knives at her for hours. Never yelled at him when one cut her, just tossing it back and sitting patiently while she waited for him to continue. He’d gotten good at ignoring the tears that slipped silently down her face. He knew the others had too, Vanya had often been involved in the top numbers training sessions, Dad used to bring her into Ben’s training too but after he figured out that the Horror wouldn’t attack her, he’d banished her to her room without supper for a week. 

“Yeah, she will,” He finally managed to get out, throwing a glance at Klaus and Luther, finding similar looks of guilt and shame on their faces. 

“When is Allison getting in again, Luther?” Dora seeming to sense the sudden downturn in everyone’s mood tried to change the subject, but the mere mention of Allison’s name had rage burning through his gut. 

He wasn’t sure if he’d ever forgive her for not being here. For not standing vigil with the rest of them as they waited for Vanya to open her eyes. He hated her for getting to go about her life while the rest of them watched their littlest sister seize. 

“She said she should be landing around ten, she got herself a ticket on the first flight this morning,” Luther seemingly didn’t find Allison’s behavior as disgusting as he did, not if the smile on his face was any indication, “I’ll have to leave around eight to get to the airport in time to pick her up.” 

“You should just leave her there,” Klaus beat him to the punch, his face twisted as he brandished his donut at Luther, “She should have to get a cab, Ben agrees by the way, she took her sweet time getting here. Why should you have to go get her? What if something happens to Vanya while your gone? Didn’t think of that did you, big boi?” 

Any other time, the way Luther’s shoulders immediately hunched, and his smile morphed into a frown, would have sent vicious satisfaction coursing through his veins. But now it just made him sad, even now his brother was incapable of seeing Allison as anything but the perfect sister. His crush on her used to be cute, but now it just felt childish. He’d always been blind to Allison’s dark side, as she rarely used her powers on him, but the rest of them had been her puppets for years. 

Anything Allison wanted she got. 

“That’s not fair, Allison had to take care of things before she could come here, you guys know how important her work is-”

Klaus scoffed, “She’s an actress Luther, not a brain surgeon, and with her rumors its not like she wouldn’t be able to get a few days off on short notice. You shouldn’t be so quick to defend her, she dropped you as fast as she dropped the rest of us. Unless, our little Disney princess, has been sending you love letters from Hollywood.” 

“She’s just been busy,” If anything, Luther seemed to draw into himself further, his arms wrapping around himself as if to defend himself from the harsh words being thrown at him. 

“Busy for seven years? Luther, baby, I know daddy dearest hasn’t loosened the leash much over the past few years. But I know you’re smarter than that. It takes two seconds to make a phone call, and if Allison had wanted to talk to any of us, she would have,” He stopped, turning to look at the air besides him, “Look, someone has to tell him, no I’m not being cruel…fine if it will get you off my back,” Klaus refocused on Luther, “To spare myself further harassment, Luther, I just wanted to point out the facts, but I should have tried to be a little nicer with my delivery. I’m sure Allison’s been very busy and missed you very much. Just don’t let her take advantage of your feelings.” 

Luther just shrugged, the beaten puppy dog look going strong, as he took another donut out of the box and stuffed it into his mouth. Dora looked at him, then shot a look at Luther, as if he was going to be the one to talk to the guy out of his misery. 

Not today Satan. 

He didn’t do emotions, and while they’d managed not to stab each other in the last twenty-four hours, he had zero intentions of having a bro moment with Luther. They were not cool like that. He just threw his hands up and shook his head, causing Dora to roll her eyes at him, and give him the cold shoulder. Quite literally, as she turned to talk to Mom again, completely ignoring him. 

Fine. 

He didn’t want to talk to her anyway. He could sit in silence watching Luther and Klaus silently battle to see who could eat the most donuts without throwing up. 

Couldn’t imagine a place he’d rather be. Honestly. 

So the time passed quietly. 

By the time Luther got up to leave, Klaus had resumed his spot across the bottom of Vanya’s bed, half asleep with one hand wrapped around her ankle and the other drawing shapes in the blankets. Diego himself, had his feet propped against the bed as he lay back in his seat, watching Vanya out of the corner of his eyes as he stared at the TV reruns of friends playing before him. 

Dora had shown him friends shortly after they’d moved in together. 

He would die before admitting it, but he loved the show, and he didn’t care what anyone said phoebe was the best part of it all. He could live without Rachel and Monica, he never got people’s obsession, but he’d fight anybody who disrespected phoebe. 

Dora thought his obsession was priceless and found ways to drop it into random conversations at the station. 

Mom had started a cross stitch, though Diego had no fucking clue where the hell she’d gotten it from, and Dora sat next to him, her hand tucked in his as they watched the TV together. Every once in a while, she squeezed his hand, and when all his siblings were looking away he’d brush a kiss against her temple.   
He couldn’t imagine doing this without her. 

“Alright, I’m heading out to grab Allison, I’m going to stop by the house to get the car if you need anything Mom?” Luther seemed significantly less excited about the prospect than he had an hour ago, and a part of him felt bad about it. But they hadn’t told him anything that wasn’t true. 

Still. 

They probably could have gone about it a little better. 

“Do you think you can look for my portable charger, darling? I think Pogo left it in his office, I’ve never needed it before, but it would be nice not to have to leave the hospital,” Mom smiled, though she never looked up from her cross stitch, “And if you have a second to grab me some more thread? It’s in the bag besides my chair in the painting hall, thank you darling.”

“Of course, mom,” Luther nodded, “I’ll be back.” 

Diego felt a sharp squeeze and forced himself to give Luther something resembling a smile, “Drive safe, we d-don’t n-need another sibling in the hospital.” 

Luther nodded, and took one last glance at the room, catching Klaus shoving his goodbye hand into the air, before he walked out. 

Soon they’d all be here. 

Maybe the sheer force of all of them being together again would be enough to get Vanya to open her eyes. The universe itself seemed to be holding its breath as they waited to be together again. Even with his anger, he couldn’t deny that it would be nice to have them all here. To know that the rest of his siblings were safe. 

Personal feelings aside, he needed them all to stay that way, because he couldn’t handle another person in his life being hurt. Not right now. 

“I have to go too,” Dora said reluctantly, “I promised the chief that I’d be in for at least half the day today, and you know they’ll have heard about this by now. You know the only reason no ones been here to question us is that the chief likes us.” 

He didn’t know about that, but he nodded all the same, “Yeah, you’ll come back after?” 

“Of course, I’ll bring dinner, any objections to thai?” 

“Ooh, we love Thai, can you get extra spring rolls and some red curry,” Klaus had shot up from the bed at the mention of food, “We haven’t really eaten since yesterday and hospital food should really count as cruel and unusual punishment when you’re withdrawing.” 

Dora laughed, “Yeah Klaus, I’ll get you and Ben some extra spring rolls, and our favorite place makes the best red curry. Grace,” She hesitated, “Do you want anything?” 

“No, I don’t require food, but thank you for thinking of me. You really must keep her around Diego, she’s perfect for you,” Grace glanced between them, happiness burst from her as she looked at them, “And you be careful during training today, Dora, I know they work you all so hard.” 

A blush had spread across Dora’s cheeks, but she managed a fairly serious response, “Of course Grace, I won’t be gone for long, and it’s a class day not a ride-a-long day. So, the worst that could happen is a papercut, I promise.”

“I have band aides, so we’ll fix you right up if anything like that happens.” 

“Thank you,” Dora stood, bending down to give him a quick kiss, then said a final goodbye to the room before leaving. He hated that she wouldn’t be with him when Allison got here. Dora would be able to keep him from losing his shit. Not that he needed her to handle him but having her around reminded him to keep his cool when he started to get hot. 

Now he’d have to face Allison on his own. 

Something he very much wasn’t looking forward to. 

“Well, we’ve got a diva incoming in two hours, and the only rational person in the room just left,” Klaus laughed as he fell back against the bed, “This is going to be fun.” 

“Fun’s not the word I would use,” He retorted, rolling his eyes at his brothers antics, but he couldn’t stop himself from chuckling at the doofy look on his face. 

To his left, mom set her stitching aside, “You boys had better behave yourselves, I won’t have this room erupting into chaos when your sister gets here. If you all can’t control yourself, take it outside, Vanya doesn’t need that. Do I make myself clear?” 

Both of them stopped laughing, and nodded, a simultaneous, “Yes ma’am.” Escaping from their lips as they straightened in their respective seats. 

Mom went back to her stitching with one last look at them both, and at once they collapsed with a relieved breath. No one wanted to piss off mom. 

Not that it would stop them from getting into an epic argument when Allison arrived, but it might get them to chill long enough to take it outside before they disrupted the environment too much. He didn’t imagine the nursing staff would take to kindly to them having one of their epic drag outs in the hospital room, and he would not get kicked out of this hospital room. 

Not even to give Allison the comeuppance she so desperately deserved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I tried to give a little levity to this chapter to balance out the angst and to prepare you to whats to come when Vanya finally wakes up. Things may get a little dark for a few chapters but I promise to slowly pull us back into the light!   
> Please let me know your thoughts in the comments, and I promise I'm already working on the next chapter for you all!


	9. Chapter Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Allison arrives, and discovers things aren't what she thought they were.  
> Vanya wakes up, and Grace has a big decision to make.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IMPORTANT NOTICE:  
> To my dear readers, remember as you read this chapter, that Allison only knows that Vanya's been attacked. She doesn't know all the details. So her reactions are going to be different to the others until she has all the information the other characters have.  
> PSA Done  
> Now, back to normal business, thank you all so much for your kind comments and kudos! As always, you are what breathes life into my story and what keeps me going even when I've worked 72hrs and the only thing I want to do is sleep! I truly hope you enjoy this chapter and as always I look forward to hearing what you think!

Allison tapped her nails against the handle of her suitcase, annoyance flaring inside her as she glanced at her watch for the third time in as many minutes. She expected Luther to meet her at her gate when she got off the plane, had been looking forward to being engulfed in his embrace, and catching up while they waited for her luggage. Instead, when she got there, she’d spent a full minute looking around like a fool for someone who never came. The pitying glances directed at her enough to curdle all her excitement. 

She hated pity more than anything. What did it get her? It was just way for people to feel better about themselves, it did nothing to help the people involved. Certainly had never helped her. 

By the time she got her bags, the embarrassment had morphed into anger, and now, after waiting at the pickup location outside the airport for nearly ten minute she felt seconds away from exploding. The fact that any moment one of the bumbling idiots around her could figure out who she was, something she’d promised to do her best to avoid, only made matters worse. 

Where the fuck was he?

Maybe it was a good thing Patrick hadn’t been able to join her. He would expect her family to be falling all over themselves to hug her, to talk to her, to fawn over her, but Diego made it clear last night he wouldn’t be doing so. Now, Luther, her number one ally, and the one person she ever truly counted as friend was late. It felt like a direct snub. As if this were her punishment for daring to have a life that she couldn’t just drop like the rest of them. 

Sorry for being important. 

She doubted Diego had made anything of himself, probably out there playing some rogue vigilante, always trying to prove himself to the father that never gave him a second thought. Luther, though she loved him, still lay directly under their father’s thumb. Playing dress up in their old uniforms and acting like the Umbrella academy still meant something without them all there beside him. She doubted Klaus would even bother to be there, probably high out of his mind in some alley somewhere unaware their sister had been beaten up at all. 

She on the other hand had clawed her way to the top. She made herself someone loved and envied by everyone around her. Crafted herself into something absolutely irreplaceable. 

They could never understand that. 

Never understand what she had to do to get there. First within the academy to earn their father’s approval, to take the spot as the apple of his eye, and now in Hollywood, where in just 7 years she’d become a household name. Vanya being beat up, while horrible, wasn’t enough to risk everything she’d worked so hard for. All the thing she’d done. It would all be for naught if her carefully crafted house of cards collapsed around her. 

So, she took a day to sort her shit out, they should be grateful she came at all. Not like any of them had bothered to check in with her over the past seven years. 

She didn’t owe them a damn thing. 

At least that’s what she told herself when the guilt tried to sour her happiness. 

When her thoughts wondered to her siblings. Thinking about Klaus on the streets, Diego lost in a world too big for him, and Luther still trapped in their childhood nightmare. Sometimes it threatened to drown her, especially in the first few years after she escaped. But every time she pushed those feelings down further and further, until months went by without them crossing her mind at all. Even at the start though, she rarely thought about Vanya, but who could blame her. Vanya had always felt like a ghost. Disconnected from the rest of them in such a visceral way. Powerless, ordinary, and utterly lacking in anything worth remembering. It wasn’t meant to be cruel. It was just a fact. One their father had reinforced over the years. 

Now, though, she wondered what her little sister had been up to all these years. 

Wondered what had happened to lead her into an alley way in the middle of the night. Right into the hands of some thug looking for a few extra bucks. It didn’t make sense with the picture she had of shy little Vanya. Too afraid of her own shadow to turn off the lights at night. Hell, she used to leave the lights on downstairs for Five, as if he would be afraid of the dark when he found his way back to them, but he’d never returned. Despite little number seven and her daily ritual meant to bring him home to them. It would have been cute if it hadn’t of been so pathetic. 

To this day she didn’t know why father allowed her to do it. 

Probably didn’t even notice the lights left on or the food wasted on those horrid little sandwiches five used to devour. Mom, undoubtedly, cleaned up the sandwiches before dear old Dad could find them. But if Dad had thought number seven, the child whose every move was scrutinized, was wasting electricity. She would have been punished. 

Not that her punishments were ever all that bad. 

Just a few bruises here and there. A few nights in her room without food. 

Nothing compared to what the rest of them had to endure. Though she always acted like a kicked puppy, the rest of them knew better than to show such weakness. 

“Excuse me? Are you Allison Hargreeves?” A nasally voice interrupted her thoughts, the gasoline smell of the pick-up location suddenly chased away by the smell of body odor and stale coffee breath as she looked into the face of the man who’d approached her. 

God. 

Couldn’t these fucking people ever leave her alone. Did she look like she was in the mood? She needed to squash this before the other people milling about caught wind and it turned into a feeding frenzy. 

A coy smile slashed across her lips as she leaned forward her eyes watering as she got a full whiff of his stale scent, “I heard a rumor that you forgot you ever saw me here, and when you get home, you’re going to smash that little phone of yours to pieces.” 

She couldn’t deny the thrill she felt as his eyes went white, and he immediately looked at her with confusion in his eyes. He wondered away without another word, as if he heard someone calling his name. She couldn’t risk him having any pictures or videos of her on his phone. She just wished she could have made him do it in front of her. The destruction would have helped temper her anger, but she couldn’t risk drawing attention to herself. 

Diego would flip out if press showed up at the hospital. As if it would be her fault that they caught wind of something going on there. 

Whatever. 

It really wasn’t her fault that people wanted to know where she was and what she was doing. She hated it as much as he would. But she’d learned how to manipulate the press to help perfect her image, and this certainly wasn’t a part of that. So, she had as much interest in keeping this little New York stop a secret as he did. 

“Allison?” A familiar voice called out drawing her attention immediately as she took in the sight of her father’s car pulling up before her, Luther hanging over the passenger seat as he called out the window to her. 

She ambled up to lean against the window frame, a smile blossoming despite her anger at his tardiness, “Well hey there stranger, fancy meeting you here, been here long?” 

Luther just smiled as he put the car into park, “Hope you weren’t waiting long, it took me a little longer at the house than I expected, and then I ran into some traffic. I would have called but I don’t actually have your number.” 

It had to be her imagination, but Luther almost sounded short, as if he were annoyed with her for some reason. 

She let it slide, keeping her smile affixed to her face as she straightened, “Only about fifteen minutes out here, but its no big deal, I’m just glad you’re here now. I was starting to think you might have forgotten about me, if you hadn’t of shown up soon I was preparing to catch a cab,” She rolled her eyes, looking at Luther conspiratorially, “Diego’s already in a mood, so I’d hate to keep him waiting any longer than necessary.” 

To her surprise, Luther didn’t laugh or join in with her, he just nodded, getting out of the car and walking towards her. Instinctually, she put her arms out as if to hug him, but he just reached around her to grab her bag. 

Hurt bloomed as her arms fell to her sides. None of this was turning out how she expected. What was wrong with Luther? He should be falling over himself with excitement to see her, “Here, I’ll throw your bags in the trunk and then we can get on the road, okay?” 

She nodded, watching as he put her bags into the trunk, and then strode around to the drivers’ side door. Sliding in, and starting the car, without sparing her a single glance.

“Allison, are you coming?” 

Her limps felt frozen, confusion hitting her like a brick as she stared into the window at her brothers face. He looked impatient, his eyes harder than they’d ever been before, he always lit up when he looked at her. But now he looked cold. 

“Allison.” 

“I’m coming,” She forced the words out, pushing herself forward and collapsing into the car her thoughts racing as she tried to figure out what had gone wrong. If anything, she should be the one giving Luther the cold shoulder after he made her wait in the airport like a lackey. Instead, he was treating her like the inconvenience. 

It didn’t make any sense. 

Luther pulled the car onto the road, and they passed the first few minutes of the drive in silence, but she couldn’t help herself, “Luther, is something wrong? I thought you’d be a little happier to see me.” 

She placed a hand on his arm as she spoke, “I know I’m happy to see you, to be here with you guys again! It’s been such a long time and I’ve missed you.” 

The muscle under her hand clenched, causing her stomach to tighten as Luther looked at her out of the corner of his eyes, “It has been a long time Allison, but you know I’m happy to see you. I’m just worried about Vanya, its hard to think about anything else right now.” 

And so, it came back to little Vanya. 

Honestly, she didn’t know what the big deal was. They weren’t like a normal family. Since they were small, they’d been training, hurting each other and being hurt. Every single one of them had been beaten by villains or in training. All of them had spent time locked away in the infirmary for days after a particularly bad injury. Hell, she’d had her arm almost completely severed by Dr. Terminus, she still hated having that arm touched, the memories of the pain and helplessness still fresh even after all these years. Hell, Ben had died out there, while all the rest of them listened helplessly to his screams. But none of them got special treatment. No one fell apart at the sight of their injuries or their blood. 

Vanya was the lucky one to have managed to get this far into life before she ended up in the hospital. Yeah, she’d appear out of Dad’s office with bruises sometimes, but that wasn’t anything special. Dad did it to all of them at one point or another. He just made sure their bruises were hidden beneath their uniforms. Couldn’t have the press seeing them. It would jeopardize the image of the academy, and that simply wasn’t acceptable. 

Vanya may have gone into his office more than the rest of them, but a few hits were nothing compared to what he did to them. 

Honestly, she knew it was serious, but its not as if any of them had ever cared before. Diego and Luther used to make fun of her tears at the dinner table. Her weakness disgusting to all of them. None of them cried where they could be seen. But Vanya had always been the weakest. 

“Honestly, Luther, you’ve been gone for a few hours. What’s the worst that could happen?” She couldn’t help her eye roll, he should be focusing on her right now, Vanya was probably sitting up in her hospital bed trading tense words with Diego. Getting fed jello and hot tea by all the nurses. No doubt they’d be taken with her sad little smiles, and her big doe eyes. 

The muscles under her hand tightened more, and she watched in surprise as Luther glared at her, hands white on the steering wheel, “Allison, I know that you haven’t seen Vanya yet, and I know its hard to understand how bad it is on a phone call. But Vanya’s in bad shape, she had another seizure last night, and the doctors are worried. I want to be there if something happens to her.” 

“I get that, honestly I do,” She didn’t, “But you can’t make this drive go by any faster, and we’re going to be in this car for at least another half hour. You could talk to me, catch me up on your life while we’re driving. I’m sure Diego will call if something happens.” 

Luther just looked contemplative, “Do you really want to catch up? In all these years you’ve never called or written to me. The only time I see you is on the TV or in magazines, it doesn’t seem like you’re very interested in how I’ve been, even as a way to pass the time.” 

“That’s not fair and you know it,” Honestly, what was his problem, “You could have just as easily called me or written me.” 

“I did, the first year you were gone I called you at least once a week, and I wrote you all the time. You never returned my calls, and all my letters were returned to sender unopened.” 

She wracked her memory, there’s no way she would have done that, not to Luther. But, that first year had all been a blur, all she wanted was to put everything behind her, to forget everything about her life before she became Hollywood’s newest darling, “Luther, I-”

He put a hand up to interrupt her, “Look Allison, its fine, it doesn’t matter. It took the others to make me realize how much it hurt me. All those years being alone, it would have meant everything to hear from you, even just once or twice. But right now isn’t the time to be focused on us, maybe once Vanya’s better, we can work it out.” 

She hated being interrupted. Hated the fact that the one person who never put anyone before her, now was putting Vanya of all people before her. 

Anger and hurt boiled inside her, and it took everything not to let it all burst out of her. It wouldn’t do to alienate Luther any further. Clearly, Diego had been whispering in Luther’s ear trying to turn him against her. 

He always was so jealous of her. 

Jealous that she had everything he wanted. Jealous that she never stuttered or stumbled over her words. Jealous of the way the press, the people, and even their father adored her. Always interested in her above all the others. 

Now, he was clearly jealous of her success. 

Well, she wouldn’t let him ruin this for her, and she would win Luther back to her side before she left. Diego clearly needed a reminder that she wasn’t someone to mess with. 

“I’m sorry, Luther, you’re right. I think I got so caught up in trying to get away that I forgot about the people most important to me. I hope you’ll forgive me,” She gave him her best smile, and triumph erupted when she saw the faintest blush stain his cheeks, “But you’re doubly right, because right now we should be focused on Vanya. I’m really sorry I couldn’t come sooner. Hopefully, she’ll forgive me too.” 

The words felt like poison against her tongue. She didn’t need Vanya’s forgiveness, but clearly, she needed to better understand what exactly was going on before she could retake her natural place amongst them all. Vanya, no doubt, would be so awed when she saw her that she would fall right back into place. Diego would be the biggest challenge, as they’d never gotten along, but Luther would be easy to manipulate once she understood what exactly had been done to push him away.

Luther smiled at her, actually reaching over to pat her on the shoulder before turning back to the road, “I’m sure she will, and the others will come around. It’s just been hard on everyone to see Vanya like this.”

“I can’t even imagine,” Her smile stayed in place, and she resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Diego really must be putting it on thick, he used to delight in Vanya’s discomfort, taking out his own anger at her. She always was the easiest target, not only because Dad seemed to approve of their distain for her, but because she never fought back. Just took whatever they threw at her. Never complained when they used their powers against her, for fun or at dad’s behest, just cried silently. Her large brown eyes, watery as she stared helplessly at them. 

They spent the rest of the drive in silence, Allison basking in the way Luther smelled exactly as he had years ago, that earthy musky smell of his always relaxing her. Despite the tension that still lay between them. 

When they parked, Luther didn’t get her door for her, something he always used to do. But she didn’t make a big deal of it, just got out and followed him in. Walking side by side the way they used to when they moved through missions or confronted the press. Always together. Unstoppable when they were shoulder to shoulder. 

She expected him to lead her to a regular medical floor, Diego had undoubtedly been exaggerating about Vanya’s prognosis, and seizures were something an ordinary floor should have been able to handle. But then they bypassed that and started heading towards the ICU. Trepidation filled her, she’d convinced herself that this wasn’t as serious as what had been said, but what if she’d been wrong. 

But she couldn’t be. 

Diego just told her that Vanya had been attacked. A mugging she’d assumed, and what kind of mugger would put someone in the ICU? 

By the time they reached her room, Allison felt a little nauseous, the smell of disinfectant and death turning her stomach violently, “You two going to go in or what? B-because you’re blocking the door.” 

She turned to face Diego, how he’d gotten behind her she had no idea, “Nice to see you too, bro, and please, after you.” 

He sneered at her, muttering under his breath as he pushed between Luther and her to open the door, “Coward.” 

“Fuck you,” She hissed back, following him with Luther just half a step behind her, “Asshole.” 

“Allison, how nice to see you,” With a start, she took in her mother, looking as perfect as always her blonde hair loose around her shoulders as she strode towards her arms already open, “How was your flight, my darling?” 

The sweet smell of honey and roses engulfed her as her mom’s arms incased her, chasing away the nausea that plagued her since she entered the hospital, “It was good mom, what are you doing here?” 

Dad never let her out of the house. Not as far as she could remember, and there was no way that he would break that rule for Vanya. No matter what the others did or said to try to change his mind. Not that she wasn’t happy to see her Mom, there was something special about Mom, but it only added to her confusion. 

“We busted Mom out of her prison, daddy’s on a little vacation, so no one tried to stop us,” Her eyes darted towards the bed, where Klaus lay sprawled on his back, making shapes in the air with his hands. Flashes of hello and goodbye darting in and out of her vision as they moved. 

Since when did he have tattoos? Where did he even get the money for them? From his appearance he hadn’t dropped the drug habit. 

And she knew how expensive those kinds of habits were. In Hollywood drugs were a dime a dozen and more than a few people used them to get by.

“Klaus?” She extracted herself from her mother’s grasp, after one last squeeze, “When did you get here?” 

“Oh, I’ve been here sister dearest,” He sat up to shoot her a glare, “What took you so long?” 

She returned his glare, “Look, I already explained to Diego that I had to finish shooting yesterday, I couldn’t just drop everything to be here. I came as quickly as I could, it’s not my fault that I’m not a twenty minute drive away.”

“Vanya died while you were filming, but I’m sure it was worth it.” 

“What are you talking about Klaus?” She refused to look at the head of the bed, afraid to see those big brown eyes staring at her with silent hurt. She couldn’t bring herself to look. No matter how righteous she felt about her actions. 

“S-she died on the table,” Diego’s voice came from beside Klaus, his hand on his brothers shoulder as if to protect him, “It took them almost three minutes to bring her back. But you don’t care about that do you?” 

“Of course I care,” She practically shouted, “But I have a life in Cali, I know that none of you could possibly understand, but I don’t have the luxury of just going wherever I want whenever I want.” 

Klaus scoffed, “Really Allison? You’re the only one of us with the luxury to do what you want when you want, and nothing ever stopped you from doing it before. But why don’t you tell that all to Vanya?” He threw his arms wide, gesturing behind him, and her eyes followed against her will. 

Her heart stopped. 

No big brown eyes met hers. No reproach or castigation. No, as her eyes roamed across her sisters face she found her eyes still closed. Her skin, always pale, now translucent, the only color coming from the vicious black bruises covering her skin. Wire and tubes transected her body, one arm wrapped in a cast, and a few of her fingers were covered in the same tan gauze. Her throat, small enough that Allison imagined one of her hands could reach all the way around it, was ringed with black bruises in the shape of a hand. 

And on her throat. 

Was that a bite mark?

It was. 

Now her eyes, watery for some reason, swept to her brother’s forms. At some point Luther had joined the others beside the bed, “Why the fuck is there a bite mark on her neck?” The words felt like knives cutting her as she spoke. 

She pointed at her brothers, fury overriding her commonsense, “You told me she’d been attacked, like a fucking mugging, but what kind of mugger bites someone. You lied to me, what the fuck happened to our sister? Tell me. Now.” 

They all looked guilty, but Klaus and Diego also looked pissed. 

“W-we didn’t want to tell you over th-the ph-phone,” Diego stuttered out, only pissing her off further when his words seemed to fail him. 

She used to pity him for his stutter, doing her best to redirect Dad’s and the media’s attention away from him. But then she’d been caught on camera rumoring an interviewer to stop asking Diego questions. Dad had made her rumor until she couldn’t speak then made Luther squeeze her until every breath felt like a battle. 

Diego never even thanked her. 

After that she started to hate his stutter, to resent the weakness she’d tried so hard to protect him from, after that she never bothered to help him again. Not when her ribs had ached for weeks and it took days for her to be able to speak without pain.

“Tell me what? Come on, spit it out.” She knew it was a bitch move but right now she didn’t care. 

“Jesus Allison,” Klaus of all people jumped to Diego’s defense, “give him a second.” 

She just glared and looked at Diego. 

“I-I found her in the all-alley with her clothes ripped and her pants down,” Allison felt sick, her eyes falling again to her sisters’ tiny body in the bed, from the looks of it her brothers all felt the same. Klaus’s hand tightening on Vanya’s ankle, Diego’s eyes firmly fixed to the floor, Luther looked seconds away from fleeing to the bathroom. His cheeks tinged with green.

“What do you mean? Why…why would someone do that?” The anger fled, and her words came out just above a whisper. She asked but she already knew. Their little sister hadn’t been mugged. No dark figure with a gun had held her up and demanded valuables she didn’t have. No, they’d wanted something far worse than money. Her little sister had been violated and left in the cold like trash. 

She died, actually died, while Allison was in LA going about her day like normal. 

Suddenly, she just couldn’t take it, turning and running. Bursting out of the room, she fled down the hall to where she’d seen the bathroom signs before. Ignoring the startled look on the faces of the nurses she raced passed. Their questions chasing her down the hall as she slammed into the bathroom. Her sad airport breakfast looked even worst the second time around, the heavy smell of vomit only making her gag again as she stared down at the toilet bowl. 

Her knees hurt from their violent collision with the floor, but she relished in the pain. Anything to distract her from everything she’d just learned. 

She really was a terrible person.

Wrapped up in her own selfishness as always. 

Diego had been right to be furious with her. He shouldn’t have kept the truth from her, but she understood why. There were some things that just couldn’t be said over the phone. Not to someone you barely knew anymore. 

Allison would have lost it. 

Patrick didn’t need to see that, nor did any of her coworkers. 

In the end he’d done her a favor, let her live for just a little while longer ignorant to what had actually happened to Vanya. Now, their reactions all made sense. Diego and Luther considered themselves protectors of the innocent. Heroes. Seeing their own sister like that must have wrecked them. 

God.

Diego had found her. A sob choked her as more bile violently escaped her stomach. Oh my god, she couldn’t even imagine what that had done to him. The world really was a fucked-up place. 

She wanted to stay there, huddled on the tile, laying against the pristine white toilet seat. But she knew she had to get up and face them all. Had to face her sisters battered face, and her mother’s warm embrace. She had to face her brothers anger and try to apologize without reacting to them. It was too easy to slip into old habits. Easy to fight them purely because they always fought with each other. But it didn’t feel right to do that where Vanya might hear them. 

So, she pushed herself up, and squared her shoulders. 

She didn’t owe them anything, but for once that didn’t matter. She wanted to be there with them. Wanted to be part of the tenuous comradery they seemed to have formed without her. 

She wanted to be there with them. 

For once she didn’t want to run away from her past. She wanted to embrace it. 

Pain. 

Why did everything hurt. 

It hurt so badly.

Pain. 

It was the first thing she became aware of. Every part of her seemed to thrum with it, every beat of her heart and every breath felt like fire inside her. Burning her from within. She groaned, trying to flex her hands but pain sharper and harder than the rest erupted when she did so. 

“Vanya?” 

Voices came from all around her, confusing her as she struggled to make sense of it all. Machinery beeped, mixing with the cacophony of voices until her head felt like it might explode. She whimpered, she just wanted it all to stop. 

She needed to think. 

But she couldn’t. Not with the pain and the noise. 

Why was it so loud? 

She tried to open her eyes, but only one of her eyes complied. Her vision swimming as she tried to make sense of the world around her. But the lights above her only disoriented her more as she tried to bring the world into focus. 

It was so bright. 

It hurt. 

Everything hurt. 

The light flickered, once, before seeming to shine even brighter. She winced. 

Then something moved to block the light above her, and she found herself looking into a familiar face. 

“K-Klaus,” She tried to speak, but her throat felt raw, the words that scrapped out were hardly even a whisper. 

A mad smile burst across the blurry face above her, his mouth open but she couldn’t understand what he said. She thought he might have said, “hello sunshine,” That sounded like something her brother would say. 

It had been so long since she’d seen him. Or heard his voice, but it would be impossible to forget him. To forget any of them. 

But why was he even here? 

She searched her brain to even remember the last time she’d spoken to him or seen him. At least a year, maybe more, what was he doing here?

She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. She couldn’t speak. Helplessly she groaned, trying to talk, trying to say anything. But the words wouldn’t come. Why wouldn’t they come? She felt something hot and wet burning down her cheeks as she opened her mouth again. Silence. Her brothers face disappeared, and she tried desperately to reach for him a wordless shout echoing in her head. 

He only just got there. 

Why was he leaving her? She wanted to beg him to come back. Everything hurt. She felt wrong. She didn’t want to be alone. From somewhere around her a machine started to beep shrilly, and concerned voices echoed around her. But she couldn’t focus. Not with panic gripping her tight like a vice. 

Again, she tried to speak, tried to call her brother back to her. To call anyone. But her voice refused to cooperate, her throat so dry it felt like the words stuck there, shredding the soft tissue. Then, like a miracle, her brothers face appeared before her again. Then something cool touched her tongue. 

Ice. 

Her eyes slid shut at the pure relief that came from the cool touch of the ice and the gentle trickle of cold water on her tongue and down her throat. For a moment everything else dulled to near silence. The beeping slowing, and the panic receding for a moment. 

She let herself enjoy it just for a second, but the pain returned somehow sharper than before. The panic still lingering in her as she tried to make sense of everything. 

What was she doing here? What was Klaus doing here. 

Klaus. 

Yes, her brother. She loved her brother. Even if he didn’t love her. She wanted to see him, wanted to take this moment to imprint him into her memories. Sometimes she forgot what they looked like. Her siblings. Replaced with their domino masks and faces as cold and unfeeling as dolls, in her memories. She wanted to remember him with his bright green eyes, and his smile that always seemed just shy of too big. 

So she opened her eyes again. 

When she did, another shape had joined Klaus above her, “Mom?” this time her voice came out a little clearer, hoarser than normal, and still painful. But better than before. 

She felt a hand brush across her forehead, “Hello sweetie, how are you feeling?” 

“Hurts,” She whispered, feeling more hot tears cut across her cheeks.

She hated crying. She really did. 

Her mom’s smile seemed to dim, “Well we can’t have that, can we?” She asked as she turned away, talking to someone else, and then looked back at her, “I sent Diego for the nurse, okay? She’ll bring you something, to help with the pain.” 

She tried to nod but pain screamed out from her neck and her head, she couldn’t help but let out a whimper, eyes squeezing shut again, “You have to try to stay still, okay, my heart? You’re badly hurt.” 

Badly hurt. 

What happened to her. 

“It’s okay sis, Ben and I are going to keep you safe.” 

Safe from what. 

She couldn’t make her brain focus. 

Couldn’t think. 

Nothing made sense. 

The pain, mom, Klaus and Diego? What were they all doing here? Where was here? This didn’t feel like her bed at home. The sheets were rougher against her skin, and her body felt weak. None of her limbs doing what she wanted them to do. She couldn’t even turn her head to see around her. 

It hurt too badly to even move her head up and down. She didn’t want to imagine turning it.

She felt a big hand on her ankle, and immediately her eyes shot open, her body trying to recoil as pain made her jump, “No, stop.” 

More tears came. 

She didn’t want to be touched. 

More hands touched her, as the hand on her ankle disappeared and different hands clenched hers, while another brushed across her cheek again. Why were they touching her? She wanted them to stop. 

The lights above her flickered again, dimming and brightening in time with her breath. 

She wanted to bury her head in the sand. Humiliation burned almost as bright as the pain that strummed across her body as if invisible fingers were playing with her nervous system like she might jerk her bow across the strings of her violin. Except this melody wasn’t music. It was her. 

“Shush, honey, it’s okay, it’s okay. That was just Luther, he didn’t mean to scare you. Try to breathe for us, yes that’s it, just breathe honey. I know you’re scared, but the nurse is going to be here soon.” 

It sounded like her mom was crying. 

Mom never cried. 

Blindly Vanya reached for her, ignoring the violent bolt of pain shrieking up her arm as she tried to find her mother, a hand immediately grasping hers, “Sorry, sorry.”

“Oh Vanya,” She closed her eyes, not wanting to see Mom so upset, “you have nothing to say sorry for. Absolutely nothing.” 

A chorus of voices echoed her words, and her head continued to spin. Pain was making her crazy. It almost sounded like her entire family was there. They hadn’t been in the same state, let alone the same room in nearly a decade. Why would they be here now? 

“Excuse me,” An unfamiliar voice called, “Hello Vanya, my name’s Lilly, I’m your nurse, do you think you can open your eyes for me?” 

She complied, though again only one of her eyes opened and she stared blurrily at the figure above her.  
She looked nice. Red hair framing a soft looking face, “Well aren’t you a cutie, we are so happy to see you awake. I heard you’re in some pain, is that right?” 

God. 

Yes. 

She didn’t know if she’d ever felt pain like this. 

“Yes,” She mumbled, squinting at the nurse, and trying to say more. But it hurt to breathe, and when she spoke the pain in her ribs intensified. 

The nurse nodded, “Okay, well I have some pain medicine for you, it should help. It might make you go back to sleep, but if you wake up in pain again, I want you to tell us. We do not want you to be in pain, okay?” 

“ok,” She just wanted to close her eyes. Nothing made sense. Everything hurt. 

Sleep sounded nice. 

A few seconds later ice raced through her veins, and the pain dulled. Her head felt light. She blinked sleepily at the people around her, the nurse giving her a quick smile before disappearing, replaced by Mom, “It’s okay sweetheart, you go back to sleep, we’ll be here when you wake up.” 

For some reason that made her feel better.

It felt okay to let her eyes slide closed. 

Blackness took over. 

Grace let herself collapse into the chair besides Vanya the second her eyes slid shut and her face relaxed, "Oh, thank god.” 

“You could say that again,” Klaus chimed, his face drawn as he stared down at Vanya’s sleeping face, “At least she knew who we were.”

The doctor had warned them that she might have brain damage, between the swelling, and the initial head injury. Might not remember them or remember what happened to her. But she had recognized them both immediately. Even if she didn’t quite seem to believe they were real. 

“She looked so scared,” Allison whispered, tears in her eyes as she clenched onto Luther’s hand. 

Grace felt more liquid sliding down her own cheeks in response. How could anyone stand to see the ones they loved in so much pain? 

“W-What are we go-going to do?” Diego looked at the bed, before looking at the room, “I-I have to go back to tr-training tomorrow. But we can’t leave her al-alone. Not until we find the cr-creep that d-did this.”

“We’ll have to set up a rotation, the hospitals been understanding, but I heard the nurse, apparently they normally only let two people stay overnight. Now that Vanya’s awake, I don’t know if they’ll let us camp out here. But, if we set it up so there’s always two of us here at night, we won’t have to worry about that. During the day we can all be here when we are able to.”

To her amazement Diego nodded, “Yeah, I think that’s a good idea, Mom, I know you want to stay here. Maybe we could rotate who stays here with you? Klaus, do you want to stay with Dora and I when you can’t be here?” 

None of them wanted Klaus to be alone. 

Her boys were so good to each other. Her heart felt full to the brim with the love she had for them all. She hated that it had taken this to bring them all together, but it was impossible to deny the joy she felt to have them all together again. 

It had been so lonely in the manor all these years. Only getting glimpses of her children or whispers of their lives beyond her. How could she not worry? Especially for Klaus, her most fragile boy, who bore the kind of powers that might have killed a lesser person. Though they had certainly tried to take him from her more than once over the years. Especially after Dr. Hargreeves had started taking him for private lessons. She’d fought so hard to stop them. But one night, Dr. Hargreeves had found her at her charging station and made it clear how easily it would be to deprogram her. To take away everything that made her who she was and take her away from her children forever. 

She’d stopped fighting him then. Fear wrapped into every piece of her code. Instead, she’d watched silently as Klaus found drugs, and then disappeared onto the streets. 

She’d done her best to try to help him over the years, but the others had turned their heads away. Dr. Hargreeves made sure of it. But deep down she knew they all loved him as much as she did. Love often hurt though, and she knew it hurt them all deeply to watch their brother disappear under the influence of the drugs. Piece by piece until it felt like a characture of their brother was all they had left. 

So, she knew what it meant for Diego to offer such a thing. To try to keep his brother from returning to the streets. 

They’d all seen him during this ordeal, he’d been doing so well. His pupils had been dilated normally, and he’d shown none of the normal signs of drug usage. His sweats and his shakes had slowly tapered away. She hoped he would agree. None of them wanted him to go back out into the streets and disappear. 

“Yeah, okay,” Klaus muttered, looking down at Vanya’s face, before his eyes shot up to the empty air beside him, “Of course you can come dummy. Never needed an invitation before,” HE rolled his eyes before looking at Diego, “Ben would like to know if he can come to.” 

Diego nodded, shooting a glance to the space Klaus had looked at, “Yeah, Ben, k-kind of f-figured you two were a pack-package kind of deal.” 

With that it was settled. 

Diego reminded them that Dora would be there with dinner soon, she could see how excited he was to tell her that Vanya had woken up and seemed coherent, and so they all resettled around Vanya’s bed. Watching her sleep peacefully. 

Looking at her face, Grace couldn’t quite describe how it made her feel, to see her daughter so hurt. So vulnerable. 

Yet she’d seen the lights flickering earlier. Wondered if she should ask the doctors to find her daughters pills for her. Her very first directive had been to protect Vanya, to control her, and Dr. Hargreeves had programmed her to be unable to question him about her treatment. She knew what those pills did, but had no power to stop them from being given. No ability to tell her daughter the truth. Nor any of her siblings. 

But she wanted to. 

She wanted to so badly that sometimes her joints seemed to ache with the want to fix things. It didn’t feel like protecting or loving her daughter to do that to her. 

Maybe this could be the way out. Maybe she could convince her children not to bring up the medication or convince the doctor her daughter shouldn’t take it right now. 

Or maybe that was selfish of her. To spring something like this on Vanya when she had been through so much. To add another betrayal onto the pile. She didn’t know what to do. But she needed to decide fast. She knew the doctors would be asking about it soon, Diego had certainly mentioned the medications to them when Vanya came in. 

She hoped that things would be clearer in the morning. Something told her she didn’t have much longer before she’d be forced to decide.  
y

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Vanya woke up, and her powers are awakening too. What do you think Grace is going to do? Will she prioritize Vanya's physical or mental health in this situation? If you were in her shoes, what would you do?  
> Allison learned the truth, and had a hard clash with reality, change is beginning, do you think she's going to be able to truly change? Or will she sweep this all under the rug and go back to her normal behavior as soon as she leaves?  
> Luther didn't immediately give in, and he's starting to work together with all the members of the family, Will he be able to put his family first when Reginald shows up?  
> Diegos balancing a relationship, work, and so many life changing realizations. Will he be able to keep himself in check or will his famous temper be the death of him?  
> And Klaus, our resident medium, will he stay clean? Or will his demons drag him back out in the cold, leaving his family to do this without him?  
> Let me know what you think's in store for our favorite family and if theres anything you'd like to see! 
> 
> Last thing, I know a lot of you have mentioned Luther getting a POV chapter, and I thought about having him narrate the beginning of this chapter instead of Allison. But I'm saving his first POV chapter for something coming up! I promise its going to happen but it needs maximum impact and I have big plans for when and why its going to happen. So, forgive me, but theres probably another three or four chapters before you're going to see it. But I did hear you, and I swear on all thats unholy, I am not ignoring you or your desire for the big guy to get his own chapter!


	10. Chapter Nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The game is on, will the Hargreeves be able to figure this out before something else happens?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just have to say, you guys are literally the best readers a girl could ask for! I absolutely love getting to chat with you and read you reviews! It makes my heart absolutely sing! Sorry it took a little longer than normal to update, its been a crazy two weeks! But I'll do my best to stick to around a chapter a week from here on out! But the month of march is going to be crazy. So I may need a little extra time!   
> But regardless, thank you for being such amazing readers and I hope that you enjoy this chapter!

Diego settled deeper into his chair, glancing at the clocked as he pulled the blanket Dora brought him tighter, the hospital room had gotten progressively colder as the night wore on. Now, it was almost three in the morning, and he felt close to shivering. But despite the hour he couldn’t seem to fall asleep.

Memories of the day kept him awake, his spine tingling with the feeling that something wasn’t right, despite the fact that nothing had happened.

Dora would tell him that he’d been through something incredibly traumatic and he should give himself space to process. But right now, he didn’t want to think about himself. He needed to think about Vanya and the rest of his family.

He needed to keep them safe. But they all left, unable to stay in the hospital room together now that Vanya had started to wake up.

Not being able to see them only made things worse.

Now it had been hours since the others left. Hours he spent largely alone with his thoughts. He wanted them all here with him, but Dora and Klaus had left together. Klaus’s arm slug over Dora’s shoulder as he whispered something in her ear. Their laughter as they both turned to look at him as they left had filled him with no small amount of terror. He hadn’t imagined they’d get along so well, Dora and his brother, but Klaus had taken to Dora like a fish to water. To his horror the feeling seemed mutual. Between Mom and Klaus, Dora would know every embarrassing moment in his life before the end of the week.

But, it would be a small price to pay, seeing how well Dora fit among his family members. The Thai food had gone over well with everyone. Even Allison, who rarely got along with other girls, seemed to at least respect Dora. The look of shock on her face when Dora had come over to drop a kiss on his brow had nearly sent him over the edge. Holding in his laughter nearly killed him.

Clearly, she hadn’t thought him capable of having a relationship, let alone one with such a functional human. Not that he could really blame her.

He still wasn’t sure what he’d done to earn Dora’s affection.

Dora seemed to have picked up on that as well, making a point to bring up more than once how Diego tied her for number one spot in the police academy, and off handedly mentioning how the chief already wanted them both for the major crime’s division. If they did well their first few years there then they’d be shoo ins for homicide. Luther looked impressed, asking them both questions about the academy in between stuffing spring rolls in his mouth.

For once, he hadn’t felt like competing with his brother, instead that lingering sense of pity reared its head again. His brother had been stuck in the academy for years without them. Though he’d done well without them all, now even a few hours apart felt wrong. Luther always wanted them to be together as a team. He knew Luther stayed because Dad had spent their entire childhood beating a sense of duty into him. Loyalty that hadn’t been earned.

He wondered if Luther ever wanted something more from his life.

From his questions it seemed that he did. So, he did his best to refrain from taking his head off every time he opened his mouth. Instead answering his questions as honestly as he could.

In between all that, Klaus had been slinging wild stories about his time on the street, somehow making it all sound funny and adventurous. When Diego knew in his heart that his life wasn’t as magical as he made it seem. From the glances shared between Mom, Dora, and Allison, it seemed he wasn’t the only one who doubted Klaus’s renditions. But all of them were caught laughing at his tales more than once. His natural flare for the dramatics irresistible as he narrated some of his wilder escapades.

To all their surprise, Vanya had woken up for a third time, seeming to be in less pain than the other times, and the nurse let them sit her up in bed. Though they were not to put her head of bed higher than thirty degrees, because of the drain in her head, it meant that Vanya could see them all. She’d managed to talk with them for a few minutes, and even eat some Jello, which mom fed her. The whole time she’d watched them all, her brown eye wide as if she didn’t really believe they were all here. Everyone smiled just a little too wide and laughed a little to loud to try to keep the mood light. None of them doing more than asking her if she was in pain, before changing the subject.

All of them had been afraid to ask if she remembered.

None of them were ready for that conversation.

But the part of him that thrived in the academy wanted to know. Not to put her on the spot or make her relive something so terrible, no, he wanted to know so he could catch the bastard. Dora had pulled him aside before she left with Klaus to tell him that the chief had his best people on it. They’d found the crime scene, but despite searching for well over an hour they had not found her violin. Something that made no sense, seeing as they’d been able to confirm she had stayed late at the orchestra practicing.

When she told him that, pride had burst in him so hot and fast it took his breath away. He had no right to be proud of her. Not after everything he’d done.

But he was.

Even he knew, for as little time as he spent with her growing up, that all she ever wanted was to play in an orchestra. Remembered vividly the day, only a few months after five vanished, that Vanya had asked Dad if she could apply for the local youth orchestra. The way she’d looked so hopeful, standing before him, so confident. All of them had watched silently, almost in a state of shock that their silent sister had dared to ask anything of their father. Allison had gasped audibly when Dad slapped Vanya hard enough to send her to the ground. All of them had started to look away as quiet sobs filled the space, but Dad had commanded them to look at her. They needed a reminder he’d said of what a failure looked like. In no uncertain words he’d told her that she would never amount to anything, and he would not have her shaming his name in public.

Then he’d left her sprawled on the floor like a broken doll, shaking as she tried to suppress her sobs, and they’d all followed. None of them looking back at her. None of them dared.

Back then they had no real choice. Dad would punish them twice as hard if they tried to help her. But now, he couldn’t imagine staying quiet if that happened in front of him again. Whether to Vanya or a stranger.

But it seemed that she proved him wrong after all. Making it into the local orchestra, an orchestra which played across the country and at many prestigious venues. It meant something.

He knew Vanya would want her violin, so he asked Dora to have them look again and check local pawn shops to see if anyone had sold it. It had been the one thing of value she’d ever been given. No way would she part ways with it willing. So, it should have been there. He’d find it for her, a silent apology for all the ways he’d hurt her growing up.

Dora also told him that the chief would be sending people to talk to Vanya in the morning. 

He had to hand it to the chief, he was smart to send his people when he knew Diego wouldn’t be there. He didn’t trust himself not to say something or do something that would get him fired or scare Vanya more than she already was. He had seen the after but having to hear about it…just might push him over the edge.

His eyes drifted to Vanya’s bruised face, the swelling on her left eye had started to go down, and the nurses were confident she’d be able to open it by the end of the week. But the colors of the varying bruises littering her skin had only darkened.

It would be weeks before they faded completely, but more importantly it would be weeks until she’d be able to play violin again. Her right arm would need surgery and she would have to wear a hard cast for at least a month after that. Her fingers would likely need six weeks to heal themselves. Dora told him the orchestra had been notified, and thankfully it seemed Vanya had short term disability and insurance through the company so she wouldn’t have to worry about money at least. But he knew music was Vanya’s safe space, clearly that hadn’t changed, and he didn’t imagine she would do well without it.

He worried about her.

When she’d woken up at dinner, she’d asked about her pills, and the nurse they’d called in had assured her that between the morphine, Ativan and Keppra, her anxiety was being well covered. But the nurse had asked if one of them could bring Vanya’s pills in for them as people were rarely supposed to come off those kinds of medications cold turkey.

Awkwardly, all of them had to admit they didn’t know where Vanya lived, but Dora was quick to interrupt, “We have her address on file, and we were able to recover a set of keys.”

Vanya told them where she kept her pills, though she didn’t seem thrilled at the idea of them going into her home without her. But she hadn’t protested, merely looked at them all her single eye full of confusion and trepidation.

He wanted to reassure her but didn’t know how.

She clearly didn’t trust them. Didn’t trust the whole situation, and it was even clearer that she didn’t have the energy to fight them.

She’d managed to stay awake for almost thirty minutes before she started to wince in pain. The nurse coming back to administer pain medication, and within a minute her eye slid shut again. Leaving them all in silence to finish their dinner.

Luther and Allison had been the first to go, with vague mentions of going back to the house, and getting some sleep. Luther rather reluctantly admitting that even though Dad was gone, he was known to call the house a few times a week. None of them wanted Dad to realize Mom wasn’t at the house, and none of them wanted him to show up here in Vanya’s room.

Dora and Klaus had left not long after that.

Leaving him and mom alone in the Vanya’s room. It had been nice to get some time alone with Mom, catching up and telling her all about the police academy and his life with Dora. But Mom had to put herself on her charger around ten pm. Then he was truly alone with his thoughts.

Not his favorite company.

He couldn’t get them to stop, couldn’t seem to sleep, every time he started to drift he thought he heard Vanya whimper or the machines beeping get louder. But Vanya’s face never twitched, and the red lights of the alarms never came on.

But he felt on edge despite it all.

That press of energy that haunted him the night he found Vanya reawakened and he wanted to run. Run out into the night and hunt like a lion in the Serengeti. His veins bubbled with the heat of it, the adrenaline making his fingers twitch for a knife and his muscle cramp beneath his clothing. Longing to find the person who’d done this. He just wanted a name or a description. He knew the chief wouldn’t give him one and Vanya didn’t really seem to know why she was in the hospital. Not that they pressed her on it the few time she’d opened her eyes. 

He should let his colleagues do their jobs. Shouldn’t risk his career and his future on this. But he’d seen the way they’d all looked after Vanya woke the first time. How the anger burned in all their eyes, all of them looking between Vanya and the door as if their enemy might burst into the room any second. He half wondered if Luther wasn’t already making plans, Allison whispering in his ears as they planned out how best to use the rest of them to figure this out.

Luther still didn’t seem quite convinced that this was a random attack.

Hell, even he wasn’t sure, whoever did this left Vanya’s wallet, almost a hundred in cash left behind. They hadn’t outright killed Vanya, something that wasn’t uncommon in the area, and they hadn’t made any real effort to cover up their crime. They’d also taken her violin. Something the average rapist wouldn’t find valuable, but someone who had followed Vanya would know meant everything to her.

Something just felt off about it all.

But until Vanya told them more, they didn’t have a lot to go off. It would be a week at least until forensics came back on the crime scene, not that they were likely to tell him what they found, and there hadn’t been any witnesses. He didn’t count as he had only come across the scene after the assailant fled.

It all came down to Vanya and whatever they could find at the scene.

At least until the perp struck again, which given the nature of the crime was likely, unless it was a targeted attack. Even then though, it was unlikely it would be a one-time thing. People like that tended to have agendas, and even the pettiest of criminals had an itch they needed to scratch. Once they got away with it, they wanted to do it again and again.

Like a sickness.

When he stopped by Vanya’s apartment in the morning, he would check her locks, windows, and general security for her apartment building. Not that he had any intentions of allowing her to go home alone, but he wouldn’t allow her to be vulnerable.

Her attacker hadn’t taken her wallet, but it would have been easy to get her address off her ID without taking it.

Couldn’t risk anyone being able to get into her apartment and wait for her there. She would be too weak and vulnerable when she got out. One arm broken, unable to see fully out of one eye, and the doctors thought she’d need a cane for at least a few weeks after her release because of the way her knee had been dislocated. The joint had swollen badly, and with how long it had been left out of place the doctors worried about damage to the ligaments and tendons.

He had never wanted to protect someone so fiercely.

Even on missions for the academy, he wanted to protect the innocent because that was what a hero did. What he did. But he felt no real attachment to them or any desire to connect with them after the mission ended. Rarely sat up at night and wondered what happened to them after they were rescued. Because he’d done his job, kept them safe, and now his job was over. At work it was the same, he wanted to keep people safe, enjoyed locking up criminals and resting knowing that he helped to keep the streets just a little cleaner.

But this was different.

Vanya wouldn’t believe him, after all he’d spent his childhood using her as a target, both literally and metaphorically, taking out his own hurts on her. The only person who seemed weaker than the rest of them. She made an easy target, so eager to please them, and so afraid to lose their attention. They could say anything to her, push her or yank her hair, and she’d still smile at them. At him.

She used to stay up to wait on them when they left for missions.

More than once she’d bandaged them up when they didn’t want Dad to know they were hurt. Mom did her best to help them, but if they came to the infirmary, she had to report it. But somehow Vanya always had enough supplies to help them with the little things. He yelled at her more than once for being in his room, but it never stopped her from helping him. He never thanked her or acknowledged her help. But it never bothered her. She’d always give him a small little smile and leave without saying a single word.

Her own little mission done.

She was the only sibling who never made fun of him for his stutter. In fact, she always waited for him to finish what he was saying, though often it was something mean. Back then, it made him angry, the way she’d simply stare at him waiting patiently. It felt like its own type of embarrassment.

But he’d known for years that it was just the only kindness she could give him.

And now, he wished that even once he would have swallowed his own pride and hurt to talk to her. To tell her that he secretly enjoyed listening to her play after his training sessions with dad, no matter how many times he yelled at her to shut up, and how nice it had been to have someone treat his wounds when he couldn’t reach them.

There were a lot of things he wished he could have said to her.

He would tell her, at some point, when she got a little stronger. He would make sure she knew that he cared. That despite all the shitty things he’d done to her, he loved her, and he would do his best to be better. But, right now, he wouldn’t. It would just be to make himself feel better and she wouldn’t believe him. First, he needed to show her that he would be better. Needed to be there until she looked at his presence and accepted it. Trusted him enough to know that he wanted to be there.

Resolute, as always, he let his eyes slide shut and tried to get some sleep. But it hadn’t been long when the sound of muttering woke him. At first, he glanced around disoriented, but then he looked at Vanya and found her brows scrunched as she whispered, “No please, stop, please. You’re hurting me. Please stop.”

With every word her body seemed to flinch as if reliving that night. Her tiny fingers clenching, though the bandages prevented more than one from complying with the rest, and her limbs flared as if trying to fight someone off.

“Vanya?” He moved to stand beside her, one hand coming up to shake her uninjured shoulder, “Vanya, it’s okay, you’re safe, but I need you to wake up.”

All at once she went completely still, her heart monitor showed her pulse rising steadily, and then her eye flew open, “Vanya, its okay, I need you to take a deep breath for me.”

She focused on him at once, but instead of relief, her expression morphed into pure terror, “Diego?”

“Yeah, Vanya, its me,” He tried to be reassuring but it wasn’t exactly something that came easily to him. And the way she stared at him, so clearly afraid, made him even more awkward than normal.

“Diego,” She seemed frantic now, her chest heaving as she looked between him and the shadows in the room, as if waiting for someone to appear, “Diego you have to run. He’s coming for you, for all of you, oh god.”

She started to cry, her shoulder shaking beneath his hands as fine tremors rocked her body, “Va-Vanya what-t are y-you talking about? I promise, no-no-no ones coming for an-any of us, we are going to keep you s-safe from now on, okay?”

“No, you don’t understand,” She managed to look him in the eye, tears rushing down her cheeks, and he knew just from the look that there was no questioning if Vanya remembered anymore. It was clear she remembered everything that happened to her now.

Her hand grasped his wrist, the bandages on two fingers doing nothing to stop the nails of her other three digging into his skin, “He told me he’s coming for you all. He wants to make you suffer the way he suffered all those years. Where are the others? They aren’t safe out there. No ones safe.”

Her eyes glanced around the room, “Diego, where are they?”

His own heart started to pound, “Th-they all went home Va-Vanya, the hospital wouldn’t let them st-stay here after you started w-waking up. Too many of us for one hospital r-room.”

“Call them, please, you need to warn them. Harold, he’s coming for you all.” She gripped his wrist tighter, before suddenly letting it go, her arm collapsing to the bed as if she no longer had the strength to hold it up, “He promise that the things he did to me were not-” Her voice seemed to break, as she stared into the shadows of the room tears racing down her cheeks, “No-nothing compared to what he’d do to you. He wants to teach you all a lesson. Humility he called it.”

Her eyes seem to lose focus, “He said I was just a warning to you all. He said he was sorry it had to be like this, but it was the only way to show you what he was capable of. He was going to kill me and carve his message into my skin but he thought it’d be more effective to leave me alive.”

Anger burned through him as he watched his sister fracturing before him. Her body slumping into the bed, like a doll with its string cut, talking to him her voice dead as if every emotion had been cut out of her.

She could have died.

She could have been _killed._

Before he manages to speak, she looked at him again, “Please, you have to warn them.”

Then she fell silent, tears still falling one after another down her cheek, but now her gaze seemed hollow. All the frantic feverish energy gone, replaced by fear and sorrow, her eye unfocused as she stared in the direction of the door.

“Okay,” He whispered, nodding to her, “I’m go-going to call th-them now.”

He tried not to let his hands shake, but he could only think of Dora, alone in their townhouse with Klaus. What would happen to them if this guy found them? If what he did to Vanya was his idea of a warning, what was he planning for the rest of them.

As he dialed her number, so familiar to him now, he listened to it ringing, and at first no one picked up. Fear made his stomach clench, her voicemail message had just started to play, when it was interrupted by a sleepy, “Diego?”

“Dora, th-thank G-God,” Sheer relief made his knees weak, beads of sweat collecting at the nape of his neck as he clenched the phone tighter, “I need you to get up and check all the locks. Wake Klaus up and make him go with you.”

“Diego, what is this about?” Her voice sounded alert now, and he could hear her getting up even as she questioned him.

He could hear her padding down the hallway towards what he assumed was the guest room, “Vanya woke up, she told me that the person who did this, he’s after all of us. Vanya’s supposed to have been his warning to the rest of us. She doesn’t think you’re safe. I believe her.”

“Klaus, you need to wake up, we gotta check the house,” Dora spoke and in the background, he could hear Klaus’s sleepy reply, “Diego says there’s someone after you all, the guy who hurt Vanya,” There was a pause, the faint sound of Klaus speaking, before Dora spoke again, “Klaus says Ben’s been watching the house all night, and no ones been hanging around.”

“That’s good,” Ben would be their greatest asset in all of this, “But I still want you to check the locks, bring Klaus and Ben with you. Would you be okay with Klaus staying in our room with you? I don’t want either of you to be alone right now.”

Anyone who could do what this freak did to Vanya without a second thought, would do far worse to people who might stand a chance of fighting back. He didn’t want to imagine Dora or Klaus hurt right now.

Or worse.

“Okay, we’re going now, Klaus, what do you say to a sleepover?”

He could hear Klaus’s excited shriek in reply, and couldn’t help but smile, “Hear that? I think its safe to say I won’t be sleeping alone tonight.”

“Good, call me back if you guys find anything. I need to get in touch with Luther and Allison, make sure they’re okay too.”

After a hasty goodbye, he started to dial Luther’s number, he’d been shocked when Luther admitted he carried a cell phone these days, but he added it into his phone before they’d left. Promising to update him if anything changed with Vanya’s condition. His oafish brothers concern for their littlest sister surprising him.

But maybe Luther had changed as much as the rest of them over the last few years.

“Diego, are they okay?” Vanya asked, her large brown eye dark with concern and fear. Though exhaustion seemed to be seeping into them too, her lids looking heavier by the second, as if all her energy had been taken by her outburst.

“Yeah, they’re fine, Ben’s apparently keeping watch, and they’re going to have a sleepover in our room just in case.” Her body seemed to sink back into her pillow at his words, some weight disappearing off her shoulders as she melted into the bed, “Good. I don’t know what he’d do to them if he found them alone.”

Except she knew exactly the kind of things he’d do if he found them alone. And from the slow look of deadened horror blooming in her dark eyes she was remembering exactly that.

He shuddered at the thought, “Let’s hope we don’t find out,” she nodded, her eyes slowly closing as if she could rest now that she’d warned them, “I’m going to check on the others too.”

“Okay.”

With that she was out, her eyes sliding shut, and her brows tense even as she seemed to succumb to sleep. He wondered if she’d wake terrified again tonight. He hoped not, she needed to focus on healing, the rest of them were going to stop this guy before he hurt anyone else.

Luther, thankfully, picked up on the second ring, “Diego, did something happen to Vanya? I can be there in twenty minutes.”

“Wh-Whoa, slow down b-big guy, Vanya’s fine,” If the situation were less serious, it would be kind of adorable, “Are you and All-Allison safe?”

“Yeah,” Confusion clear in his brothers voice, “We’re both here at the manor, why wouldn’t we be safe?”

They all knew the manor had top notch security. A by product of their Dad’s money and bizarre experimentation. He wouldn’t risk anyone being able to just waltz right in. Though the exact nature of his security system wasn’t known. They just all assume it was good, seeing as none of their enemies had every busted in to find them there.

“Vanya says the guy who hurt her is after us all and used her as a warning to the rest of us. You should be on your guard. We aren’t safe if its true.”

“Well, for once I was hoping to be wrong,” Luther muttered, and Diego could picture him with one large arm stretched behind him, a hand rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly, “Are you sure its legit?”

He scoffed, “No reason to doubt her, and we’ve made our fair share of enemies over the years. Though the only ones I could picture going this far got a one-way ticket to hotel oblivion.”

And he seriously doubted any of them had gotten out. The government, let alone dad, would have noticed someone escaping from the moon and warned them. At least he hoped Dad would have told them if something like that had happened.

“I’ll go check on Allison and check the security cameras to make sure nothing seems out of the ordinary. Thanks for letting me know, we can all figure out a plan tonight when you get off work. We can meet at the hospital and have dinner like we did yesterday.”

He hung up shortly after getting confirmation that Allison was also unharmed. Whoever this guy was, he hadn’t done anything yet, but that didn’t exactly fill him with confidence. He must have been planning all of this for a long time.

And to do this to the one member of their family with no ability to protect herself. It made him sick. The kind of monster that would hurt someone so vulnerable to hurt the rest of them. Disgusting, and it scared him to think that this was the warning shot. He didn’t want to think about his plans for the rest of them. He likely knew about their abilities and planned accordingly. So, they wouldn’t be able to rely on their powers to give them an edge.

But there were a few things he couldn’t account for.

Ben, and mom for one. Mom had been programmed to protect them all, and he had seen her in action before. She was like the 1940s housewife version of the terminator. And Ben, he would be able to act as a silent guard for them when they weren’t here in the hospital. Might be able to give them a warning if anyone showed up.

But they needed to stay together.

They were already separated by the sheer need for at least one of them to be at the hospital at all times, and it was made worse by them staying in separate locations. He would have to talk to Dora to see if she would mind Allison and Luther crashing in the spare room while Klaus stayed with her in their room. He could crash on the couch when it wasn’t his turn on the hospital rotation.

Ben would be the first line of fire in case that asshole showed up.

It would only get worse when Vanya eventually got out of the hospital. How were they going to keep her safe?

It hurt his head to think about the possibilities, but they had time to catch this sicko before she got out of here.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_He’d been so satisfied when he saw that the Kraken had found Vanya. He’d been watching from the room for a few hours, if no one had stumbled upon her by sunrise he would dial 911. He couldn’t risk her dying before she got a chance to deliver his message._

_But never in his wildest dreams had he pictured any of the academy finding their poor little sister._

_Broken._

_Nearly dead at his hands._

_Watching the Kraken panic, pathetic, as he tried to think of what to do would fuel his fantasies for weeks to come. It made everything worth it just to see fear and horror cross the face of someone who thought themselves invincible to the horrors of the world. It was like the first sip of water after being stranded in the desert._

_So satisfying, and knowing that this would only be the start had gotten him half hard again. Blood pumping through his body as his desire to ruin them soared higher._

_He thought killing his father would be the peak of his accomplishments, but this made that look like nothing. The things he’d done to Vanya were unimaginably exciting, and this was the icing on that cake. He would hurt them so much worse before the end. He would terrorize them until they begged for death. Just like sweet little Vanya had, her brown eyes filled with so much terror and fear by the end that he almost did. Almost gave into the desire to slice her open and pull her insides out. But there would be time for that later._

_There would be time for that and so much more._

_After that he followed, watching the ER parking lot, seeing the space boy and an elegant woman, possibly a girlfriend enter the hospital a few hours after the Kraken and his girl. Though in all his surveillance he’d never seen a woman like that come or go from the manor. A day later The Rumor arrived, and he felt his pulse quicken._

_He almost had the whole set._

_All of them in one place, looking so devastated, because of him._

_He wasn’t ashamed to admit he’d rubbed one out right there in the parking lot just thinking about it. Being responsible for their pain. Truly, it was a feeling like no other._

_But it was on the third day that things got interesting, he watched as the séance appeared with Patch, the cop the Kraken had been shacking up with, both of them leaving the hospital together not shortly after Spaceboy and the Rumor left. When had the séance gotten there? He’d been watching the hospital so carefully._

_It didn’t matter though._

_Not really. Not when all his prey were finally together again._

_In that moment he had to decide to follow or to stay. In the end he followed spaceboy, and the Rumor, just to make sure they went back to the academy. The rumor had enough money now to afford a nice hotel. He couldn’t have that, but they played it exactly how he wanted. Arriving at the academy together, and clearly their chemistry hadn’t faded as the two stuck close to each other as they walked into the house. Smiling even though he could see the tension in them._

_He wanted to cut their smiles apart._

_He wouldn’t. Not yet. Prison had taught him the value of patience, and he wouldn’t risk ruining his plans not even for the satisfaction and pleasure he would garner from watching them bleed. No, tonight he had other plans, clearly something had happened with his precious little Vanya, and the hospital wouldn’t be allowing the family to stay together there anymore._

_Time to leave them another message. A reminder that he would be coming for them next._

_He didn’t even try to stop the laughter erupting from him as he drove the now familiar route to Vanya’s little apartment. Sooner or later one of them would stop by to get her clothes or just to see where their little sister lived._

_People were curious that way._

_So, he would make sure they had a warm welcome when they did. Even if they didn’t stop by until Vanya left the hospital, it would be okay, because then Vanya would see what he left for her. Just the thought of the terror and fear on her face made his blood burn. He never imagined he would enjoy ruining her so much. But wrecking her in that alley bled more life into him than he’d ever felt before. He would make sure to pencil in some more alone time with her for later. After he destroyed all her protection, he would return to her._

_Maybe he’d even let her watch as he drained the life from her siblings before coming for her._

_Yes._

_He wanted her to be the last one left._

_Sometimes plans were worth changing when you found something so special. At least that’s what his mother used to say._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies!   
> I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and please know that having to be in Harolds POV literally turned my gut! He's a disgusting piece of shit and hopefully that translated well within his little segment of the story!   
> Now, I did want to let you guys know within the next two to three chapters there will be a chapter that's not really a time skip, but will basically do little mini scenes to accelerate our time line a bit. Get us to the point where our favorite bad Dad gets home and Closer to Vanya getting out of the hospital. This is just to help push the story along! It will include some cute sibling bonding moments, some angsty angst, and the beginning of the set up of Harold's plan. But realistically I need everyone out of the hospital to make things thing really get moving. (When I started I never pictured 10 chapters worth of build up, but that's just how it is! Hopefully it will be worth it for everyone once the real shenanigans get started). As always, feel free to let me know what you thought of the chapter, if there's anything you'd like to see or any characters you'd like to have interact with each other!   
> Sending lots of love to you all this week! I hope everyone stays safe and takes care of themselves!


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